Marketing Indoor Air Quality To Your Customers

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According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, allergic rhinitis, also called hay fever, impacts about 50 million people in the United States. One of the methods recommended for those who suffer from allergies is to avoid and reduce irritants. One way to do this is by improving indoor air quality.

With so many people suffering from allergies, and over 16 million newly diagnosed in the last year alone, it’s just smart business to market to this specific demographic and help them figure out ways to improve the air quality in their homes.

What a Leading Allergist Recommends
Dr. James L. Sublett, a board certified allergist and founder of AllergyZone, recommends keeping humidity below 50%. He advised, “Do not use vaporizers or humidifiers. You may need a dehumidifier.”

His company, AllergyZone, offers some products HVAC technicians will want to take a close look at and consider adding to what they offer their clients when installing and maintaining heating and cooling systems. For example, the addition of filters for in-room vents can help reduce allergens.

Sublett recommends that homeowners install a high efficiency media filter. The MERV rating should be 12 on the furnace and air-conditioning unit.

Install a high efficiency media filter, like AllergyZone, with a MERV rating of 12 on your furnace and air-conditioning unit. Leave the fan on to create a “whole house” air filter that removes over 90 percent of particles that cause allergies.

Services You Can Offer Your Customers
In addition to being aware of the best rating for installed units, there are some special services you can offer specifically for your customers who suffer from allergies.

• Dr. Sublett feels that regular maintenance is vital to maintaining clean air quality in the home. Where a homeowner not suffering from allergies might only service their unit once a year, those with allergies should have their units serviced at least once every six months.
• Change the filters every three months or with each season change. This keeps the filters fresh and clean and removes the buildup of allergens. Offer your customers an annual package with four annual visits to change filters and check the unit.
• Severe allergies may also require portable room air cleaners. For example, if one person in the home, such as a child, suffers from extreme allergies, a portable room air cleaner may be required in the room that person sleeps in. Consider offering these portable room air cleaners as an add-on product.

Add Ventilation Services
Looking for ways to expand the services you offer? Look to ventilation for the home. For example, Board certified pediatrician and allergist/immunologist Akina Shikari Bajowala and owner of the blog Allergist Mommy, shared that ventilating your stove/cooking area can be vital to controlling allergies.

Dr. Bajowala said, “NO2 [nitrogen dioxide] exposure can increase symptoms of asthma and bronchitis. Ensure adequate ventilation when installing new appliances or making renovations. Fuel-burning cooking systems should always be vented to the outside, rather than recirculated. Use [an] exhaust fan while cooking. Never use [a] stove or oven to provide heat for your living space.”

If you can add services to help homeowners vent their cooking area to the outside, this is another area that can truly help those suffering from allergies.

By educating yourself on the different ways to reduce allergens in the home, you’ll be better able to serve customers suffering from allergies. Add on what services you can, recommend other actions and your customers will come to see you as someone who cares about the issues that impact their lives.

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Posted In: Building Performance, Residential Buildings