Indoor Air Quality

Trust Smart Air Cooling & Heating with your Home's IAQ

At Smart Air, we know indoor air quality (IAQ) is just as important as climate control. As such, our team takes a holistic approach to your home comfort. We want healthy air for our neighbors in Austin and surrounding communities.

Smart Air is a trusted name for providing top-notch heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) services. Our knowledgeable experts are here to assist with your next project.

We offer convenient financing options that make it possible for you to purchase the equipment your family deserves. Call us today for a free consultation.

Common Factors That Impact Indoor Air Quality

The air we breathe has a massive number of particles. Many are harmless, but others are not. Mold, dander, and other irritants can trigger respiratory symptoms for people with allergies or asthma.

Common signs of poor IAQ include:

• Poor ventilation
• Damp environment
• Pest infestation

Change Your Air Filter!

The air filter in your furnace, air conditioner (AC), or heat pump helps boost IAQ by catching dust and debris that pass through it. That’s why it’s important to change your air filter at least every 90 days—more so if you have pets or someone with respiratory issues in your home.

A neglected filter will become clogged and begin to lose its filtration abilities. Additionally, your HVAC system will provide weaker ventilation. This means standing water will dry much slower, inviting mildew and mold.

How Seasonal Maintenance Helps With Indoor Air Quality

Keeping your heating and cooling equipment in top shape helps it run efficiently and last longer. But on top of that, it’s great for your indoor air quality.

Before the start of the season, your expert will check for issues like a cracked heat exchanger or a refrigerant leak. Doing so helps ensure no pollutants are entering your home. Your technician can also inspect your ducts for excess dust or pest infestation.

For your health and safety, they will clean the condensate drain, coils, and other components that tend to get dirty. Finally, maintenance allows your heat pump or air conditioner to regulate humidity at peak capacity.

A great way to stay on top of maintenance is to join our A+ Maintenance Plan. Save money on repairs, parts, and service. Plus, you’ll always jump to the front of the line when you need our assistance. Sign up today!

How Do I Know If My Home Has Unhealthy Air?

Poor indoor air quality affects different people in different ways. For instance, a resident with a mold allergy will likely fare worse in a damp home. The symptoms can also vary based on what type of contaminants are in the air.

You or other members of your household may experience:

• Coughing
• Congestion and nosebleeds
• Sore throat
• Sneezing
• Fatigue
• Dizziness

Dehumidifiers Can Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

If you have a humidity problem at home, dehumidifiers are an excellent solution. They convert airborne moisture to liquid water that you can easily dispose of down a drain.

For healthy indoor air, humidity levels inside your home should be between 30 and 50 percent. Excess humidity leads to mold growth, triggering allergy and asthma attacks.

Signs of excess humidity include:

• Window condensation
• Mold growths or musty odors
• Wall paint bubbling

Also, if you have a wet basement, consider upgrading your sump pump or buying a supplementary one.

Do I Need a Humidifier?

In the dead of winter here in Texas, the weather can get pretty dry. Humidifiers provide a counterbalance, adding humidity to the air for increased comfort.

Does the air in your home feel dry? Here are some signs:

• Chapped lips or dry skin
• Nosebleeds, congestion, and worsened cold symptoms
• Damaged wood furniture, floors, or instruments

Whether you need a whole-house humidifier or a portable one for one part of your home, our experts can help you find the perfect antidote.

Maintaining the quality of air inside your home or business is vital, and so is the brand you choose to perform the indoor air quality functions. Here are a few products we recommend and why.

Aprilaire: The Filtration & Humidity Specialist

Aprilaire is the industry benchmark for whole-home environmental control. While they offer excellent humidifiers, their filtration and dehumidification systems are what truly shine in the Austin area.

• High-Efficiency Filtration: Their Model 5000 is often rated as the best-performing air cleaner on the market, capturing up to 99% of allergens and viruses down to 0.3 microns.

• Dedicated Dehumidification: Aprilaire whole-home dehumidifiers can remove up to 130 pints of moisture per day without over-cooling your home—essential for those "sticky" spring days when it's too cool for the AC but too humid to be comfortable.

• Service Life: Their filters are designed to last 6–12 months, significantly longer than standard retail filters.

Carrier: Innovative Purification & Ventilation

Carrier’s IAQ products focus on the "Capture & Kills®" philosophy, using advanced technology to not just trap, but actually inactivate airborne pathogens.

• Infinity® Air Purifier: Uses a patented process to charge particles and trap them in a MERV 15 filter, where an electrical field kills 99% of select viruses and bacteria, including common cold and flu strains.

• Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs): These units bring fresh outdoor air inside while "recovering" the cooling or heating energy from the outgoing air. It’s like opening a window without losing your expensive AC.

• System Synergy: Carrier IAQ products integrate directly with the Infinity® Control, allowing you to see your real-time air quality score and filter life from your phone.

American Standard: Reliable Air Scrubbing

American Standard takes a heavy-duty approach to IAQ, focusing on high-volume filtration and robust mechanical ventilation.

• AccuClean™ Whole-Home Air Cleaner: This system is up to 100 times more effective than a standard 1-inch filter. It removes up to 99.98% of allergens from the filtered air, catching particles as small as 0.1 micron (including tobacco smoke and bacteria).

• Inline Ventilators: A cost-effective solution for bringing in fresh air. It positively pressurizes your home, which helps prevent outside pollutants and "uncontrolled" humid air from leaking in through cracks and doors.

• Durable Performance: Their systems are designed with high-performance motors and permanently lubricated bearings to ensure they keep cleaning your air for years with minimal maintenance.

Mitsubishi Electric: Zone-Specific Freshness

Mitsubishi excels at providing air quality solutions for homes that use ductless or high-efficiency inverter systems.

• Lossnay® ERV: A world-renowned ventilation system that swaps stale indoor air for fresh outdoor air while retaining up to 86% of the energy. It is remarkably quiet and can be integrated into a whole-home ducted system.

• Multi-Stage Filtration: Their indoor units use a combination of Catechin (deodorizing) and Anti-Allergen filters to scrub air at the room level, effectively neutralizing odors and germs as they circulate.

• Platinum Catalyst Deodorizing: Specialized filters specifically designed to rid the air of unpleasant odors, ensuring your home always smells fresh.