Doug Waterston
Technical Sales, Kilmer Environmental Inc.
Giancarlo Sessa
Chief Strategy Officer, Blade Air
Because it can’t be seen, it’s sometimes overlooked — but the importance of indoor air quality cannot be overstressed.
Air quality greatly impacts a person’s health, both physically and mentally. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can lead to respiratory issues, bad headaches, allergies, and lower productivity levels.
On average, Canadians spend 90 per cent of their time indoors.* And at times, inside air can be even more polluted than its outdoor counterpart because of carbon dioxide levels, chemical pollutants from household cleaning products, poor ventilation of vehicle exhaust, dust, pollen, pet dandruff, and more.
IAQ levels became a popular topic during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many to reflect upon how to stay safe and healthy indoors. Driven by panic, it didn’t take long for misconceptions to arise. Many thought that to protect themselves, they needed to make a significant investment in medical-grade filters, which isn’t true. In fact, heavy-duty filters put greater strain on HVAC systems.
Truths that need sharing
Not only does this raise utility costs, it also lowers the system’s life expectancy.
“You don’t need the highest-grade filter,” says Doug Waterston, who’s in technical sales at Kilmer Environmental Inc., a distributor of industry-leading HVAC product lines in Ontario for over 35 years. “Switching to the right filter alleviates pressure on HVAC systems. It’s not commonplace knowledge, but those energy savings from the reduced system pressure can pay for the filter investment over 25 months.”
This not only brings down costs, but it also demystifies another rumour — that one cannot invest in improving their indoor air quality and be energy-efficient. In opposition, an air filter such as high-quality electrostatic polarized filters, reduces energy consumption by alleviating the strain on your HVAC system, which is much more sustainable.
Another myth is that older buildings have poorer IAQ compared to newly constructed ones. “That isn’t necessarily the case,” says Waterston. “Any building, old or new can have excellent or poor IAQ. What matters is the type of filtration and additional IAQ technologies are being used in your HVAC system”.
Kilmer Environmental has been working to reduce the misunderstandings surrounding indoor air, especially regarding accessibility, cost, and its relationship to energy efficiency.
A simple enhancement process
In fact, sustainability and IAQ go hand in hand. “You don’t have to choose — you can have both,” says Giancarlo Sessa, Chief Strategy Officer at Blade Air, a Toronto-based manufacturer of Canadian made indoor air quality technology that meets the highest industry standards, partnered with Kilmer Environmental for distribution. “It’s easier to achieve than some may think. Using Blade’s electrostatic filters, buildings are experiencing the two benefits simultaneously.”
There are many ways to improve air quality, including frequent ventilation, using non-toxic cleaning products, keeping your space well-maintained and free of moisture and mold, and using air filters or air sanitization technologies to reduce containments.
Kilmer Environmental and Blade work together with businesses to select the best possible product based on their needs. Science backed IAQ solutions include UV-C technology, commercial HEPA air purifiers, electrostatic HVAC filters, zero-waste carbon filters, and more. “We have clients who have improved air quality by 2.25 times while also seeing a 75 per cent reduction in energy use, which is a significant improvement for businesses looking to improve their sustainable practices and reduce operating costs.” says Sessa.
Contrary to circulating misconceptions, it’s evident that improving IAQ is all-around beneficial. “IAQ and sustainability are tied together. It makes financial sense and it’s proven to help improve quality of life,” says Waterston. “It’s not a luxury — it’s a necessity.”
Schedule a free consultation at KilmerENV.com to see how you can improve your business’ IAQ
Importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
90%
of Americans spend their time indoors on average
50%
of all illnesses are caused or exacerbated by polluted indoor air
2-5x
more polluted indoors than it is even in the busiest cities outside
11%
increase in productivity after cleaning indoor air
People who are often most susceptible to the adverse effects of pollution (e.g., the very young, older adults, people with cardiovascular or respiratory disease) tend to spend even more time indoors
How Blade’s Electrostatic HVAC Filters Can Help
