Home Indoor Air Quality Service and Repair

Same Day Service – Regular Rates 7 Days a Week, 7AM to 7PM – 24hr Emergency Service

Because we spend so much time in our homes (up to 90 percent of our time) and the tremendous improvements in energy efficiencies in our homes, high efficiency heating and air conditioning equipment, better windows and insulation, air sealing and weather stripping. That’s all well and good for the lower energy bills, but because of the tighter air envelope, it allows for the trapped pet dander, dust, pollens and other allergens to recirculate in your home, which can create asthmatic and allergic reactions.

Devices that remove these allergens from the air, maintain healthy levels of humidity – which protects wood floors, furnishings, eliminate static electricity, help prevent dry skin, chapped lips and dry nasal passages or sinuses which can result in nosebleeds, eliminate the possibility of molds, viruses and bacteria to proliferate are all considered Indoor Air Quality Products, and at Horizon Services we have the ability to custom tailor an indoor environment that suits your family best, as everyone has different requirements.

Types of Indoor Air Quality

Installation, Replacement & Service of All Makes and Models of Whole House Humidifiers

By-Pass & Steam Humidifiershumidifier

A whole-house humidifier protects wood floors and furnishings, eliminates static electricity, and helps prevent dry skin, chapped lips and dry nasal passages or sinuses which can result in nose bleeds. The American Society of Otolaryngology even reports that it is important to prevent an overly dry environment because it makes people more susceptible to infection. Increase your family’s level of comfort and protect your valuable furnishings by adding just the right amount of moisture with a whole-house humidifier.

Installation, Replacement & Service of All Makes and Models of Electronic Air Cleaners

We don’t just work to make sure your home’s air is warm or cool. We work to make sure it’s as clean and comfortable as it can be. There are many different type of air cleaning and purification products on the market but none as effective as the Trane CleanEffects.clean effects

Trane CleanEffects™ air filtration system has a breakthrough technology that can remove up to 99.98% percent of airborne allergens from your home’s filtered air.

Top Ten Tips for a Healthy Home

  1. Declare your home a smoke-free zone. Secondhand smoke can cause serious health problems, especially for children. Ask smokers to take it outside.
  2. New Trane Clean Effects is the industry’s most effective whole house air filtration system in the industry. This technology breakthrough removes up to an astounding 99.98% of airborne allergens from the air that passes through the filter, making it 8 times more effective than even the best HEPA room filter and up to 100 times more effective than a standard 1’’ filter.
  3. Keep humidity levels low with a dehumidifier or air conditioner, as needed. Clean both regularly so they don’t become a source of pollutants themselves. Fix all leaks and drips in the home, as standing water and high humidity encourages the growth of mold and other biological pollutants.
  4. To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, have all fuel burning appliances inspected by a qualified technician once a year. Install a carbon monoxide detector near your sleeping rooms.
  5. To keep dust mites and other allergens to a minimum, clean regularly. Wash bedding materials in hot water (at least 130°). Consider replacing carpet with area rugs that can be taken up and washed often.
  6. Fit your gas range with a hood fan that exhausts the air outside. Use the fan or open a window when cooking to remove gas fumes.
  7. Check commercial cleaning products and pesticides for toxic ingredients, and use according to manufacturers directions. Keep your home well ventilated when using these products. Consider switching to less toxic alternatives.
  8. Test your home for radon. Use a radon test kit labeled “Meets EPA requirements”.
  9. Never leave a car or lawn mower running in an attached garage or shed. Avoid the use of unvented heaters or charcoal grills indoors.
  10. Call Horizon Services for more information about avoiding indoor air hazards in the home

Carbon Monoxide Deaths are 100% Preventable!

Every winter you see headlines like “Carbon Monoxide Kills DU Grad Student” or “Faulty Heating Connection Leads to Carbon Monoxide Death of Entire Family”. These two tragic stories could have been prevented if low level carbon monoxide detectors were installed in their homes.

Colorado Carbon Monoxide Detection Law

On March 25, 2009, Governor Bill Ritter signed into Law: Colorado House Bill 1091 requiring the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in residential properties. This bill is called the Lofgren and Johnson Families Carbon Monoxide Safety Act. This law takes effect July 1, 2009.

The fact of the matter is that carbon monoxide is a year-round problem. Any fuel burning appliance can cause CO poising. (Water Heaters, Gas Dryers, Gas Furnaces, Gas Boilers, Gas Fireplaces, Barbeque Grills, Gas Fire Pits, Vehicles, Lawn Mowers, etc). Every Home, Office, School or Building should have carbon monoxide alarms installed for safety.

Carbon Monoxide or CO alarms are governed by U.L. 2034 standards, and after reviewing information about this standard it is apparent that not all CO detectors / alarms are created equal. Horizon Services recommends installing Low level CO detector to alert you when there is carbon monoxide present in your home.

Make Your Home Cleaner and Safer

Steps you can take to make the air inside your home cleaner and ultimately – safer

According to the EPA pollutants inside your home can be up to 100 times higher than outdoors. Indoor air quality is one of the EPA’s top five environmental risks to public health. There has been an alarming increase in the number of children with severe allergies and asthma. This increase has been linked to increasingly poor indoor air quality.

The American Heart Association has linked poor air quality to heart problems while the American Lung Association lists it as a leading cause of lung cancer. You can find these facts on the EPA web site, American Lung Association and many additional sites. Although this information is readily available it is believed up to 87% of American homeowners are not aware that pollution may be worse inside their homes than outdoors.

You understand the health benefits of clean water yet most people are unaware of or ignore the importance of breathing clean air. There are many things you can do to improve the air quality inside your home. Let’s briefly discuss the 3 most important ways of improving indoor air quality.

1. Source Removal
2. Air Cleaning
3. Increased Ventilation

Source Removal

Pollutants infiltrate your home and take up residency through different pathways into your home. A simple way to reduce the infiltration is to remove shoes before entering your home. Doorway mats are another simple pollutant reduction technique. Minimize the use and storage of harsh cleaner or cleaners with fragrances. Do not idle cars, lawnmowers or other engines in the attached garage. New furniture or carpet typically out-gases harsh chemicals. When you bring new items such as this into your home, open the windows often and for long periods of time. Even as the odor dissipates, the off-gassing continues. A way to remove the off-gassing, (often referred to as volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s) is by having live plants in your home.

Air Cleaning

Air quality is diminished by an excessive volume of particulates, low humidity, and the presence of chemicals, odors, viruses and bacteria. Particulate accumulation can be reduced by installing an upgraded filter in the heating system in your home. Filtering systems are available which will remove particulates down to .001 microns, (about 1/10th the diameter of a human hair). A whole-house humidifier is a practical solution to improving air quality and improving various aspects of your health. In addition to improving the air quality a humidifier can also help to lower your heating costs. Humidified air feels warmer. An air purifier can greatly reduce contaminants from the air. Chemicals, odors, viruses and bacteria have a detrimental effect on your health and the health of your family. Any combination from one of the air cleaning systems to all three will have a great impact on improving the air you breathe inside your home.

Increased Ventilation

Homes today are built much tighter than at any time in US history. This building focus was implemented in the 1970’s and continues to be improved upon every year. The result of the tighter construction is a reduced carbon footprint per square foot. This building focus is great for the environment and your wallet however, it is not so great for your health. In order to reduce the build-up of VOC’s, toxins, viruses and additional air quality robbers it is important to intentionally bring in fresh air.

One effective, low tech way of accomplishing this is to open a few windows in your home and living in Denver, Colorado, we have many days we can do that. It is not always advisable to open windows however, as it can increase your home’s heating and cooling costs. An open window can also aggravate allergies as well, depending on the time of year. A whole-house ventilation system can be installed to bring in fresh air (without the utility penalty) while maintaining the temperature setting, and humidity level of the inside air as well.

As you consider the options available to improve the air quality in your home, please contact us. We are indoor air quality geeks. We want to understand your goals. By asking questions and performing a site assessment we can then list solutions for you, your home and your family. Click here for commercial air quality services.