The ability to provide better management of health and wellness is a significant consumer expectation, and home builders and their contractors are finding themselves at the forefront of this growing trend. People expect their homes to be the healthiest place they occupy and they want the technology to control it.

Many builders are aware of air quality issues in their homes because they create a pain point. Mold and mildew from high humidity is a common issue faced by builders in southern and coastal regions. Other builders struggle to maintain energy goals while also meeting codes for fresh air ventilation.

When done correctly, management of healthy air can provide a net positive on energy efficiency and the health of the home. It also provides a very marketable attribute for builders and their HVAC contractors.

Start With the Air Quality

In the past, trends in healthy building have centered on building materials. Using low VOC (volatile organic compound) products can reduce the amount of pollutants found in the air. However, the majority of air quality problems will likely be introduced by the home’s occupants after they move in. Pets, allergens, cook smoke, cleaning products, and un-checked humidity levels will impact the home long after the building materials have dried out.

A Healthy Home Promise Is Unique to Each Region

At the core of maintaining a healthy indoor space is the air we breathe, so indoor air quality (IAQ) is now at the forefront of healthy building practices. But while boiling down IAQ to humidity control, fresh air ventilation, and particulate removal, providing an important holistic solution is not a cookie-cutter proposition. The products and solutions for one home may not be the same for another. This is especially true as we look at various regions, climates, and home designs requirements.

For example, the healthy balance of humidity for every home and family is a matter of maintaining relative humidity within 30 to 50 percent relative humidity, but the products needed to maintain that range vary by climate. The same individual considerations come into play with ventilation and particulate removal.

New home HVAC contractors have known this for years and understand the nuances of IAQ problems in their own regions. They, along with manufacturers like Aprilaire, are now helping builders understand this and capitalize on the right solutions for their homes. In addition to partnering with building materials suppliers, builders today are teaming up with IAQ experts to understand the right product mix for their own unique healthy building goals in their particular market.

“Aprilaire Health360 represents the intersection of smart-home technology and the mechanical systems that manage indoor air quality,” said Joseph Hillenmeyer, new construction channel marketing manager at Aprilaire. “This union of technology, HVAC, and IAQ equipment helps deliver and maintain healthy air in new homes.”

“With HEALTH 360, Aprilaire works with builders to determine the right suite of product solutions for

their homes and the best way to control them beyond just heating and cooling,” Hillenmeyer continued. “It may be a combination of high efficiency air filtration, steam or evaporative humidifiers, whole house dehumidifiers, and active ventilation systems.”

Controls provide accurate monitoring and operation of these systems in conjunction with HVAC heating and cooling.

Installing a solution that will monitor and correct IAQ problems for the life of home is essential to protect warranty claims and they stand behind your brand promise as HVAC and IAQ expert.