If you were to ask Jim East, the owner of JW East Mechanical, what issue homeowners should be most concerned with when it comes to their HVAC system, he will tell you indoor air quality. While the HVAC system is primarily known for regulating temperature, its role in maintaining clean, breathable air is equally critical. Poor indoor air quality can lead to allergies, respiratory issues, and general discomfort, especially in Houston, where humidity promotes mold growth and allergens thrive. Prioritizing indoor air quality within your HVAC system ensures that the air you breathe is not only temperature-controlled but also free from pollutants, mold, and excess moisture—making it the most essential aspect of your HVAC setup for health.
“In recent years, I have spent a lot of my off season time in workshops, webinars, and hands-on classes on the subject of creating a “Healthy Home” indoor environment for my clients,” said East. “This takes the HVAC system to another level of comfort, and creates a healthier environment to live in and raise a family. Treating air is not limited to just removing or adding moisture or heating and cooling it. There is so much more. Treating the air should also include treating for gases, odors, microbials, and particles. In an enclosed environment, if you do not take these under consideration, that means that human lungs become the only device keeping them from entering the body. The lungs become filters and will break down at some point having to filter out extra contaminants from your system. We cannot control the air outside our home, but we can inside.”
Because of East’s passion for indoor air quality, he was recently invited to join IAQA, the Indoor Air Quality Association, which supports professionals worldwide in creating healthier indoor environments.
According to IAQA, “Our multi-disciplinary members include IAQ inspectors, consultants, remediators, contractors, facility maintenance professionals, researchers, educators, industry vendors, school officials, and government representatives. These experts identify and help solve conditions leading to compromised air quality such as mold, moisture, ventilation, asbestos, lead paint, formaldehyde, water damage, and air contaminants.”
East was recommended by another HVAC contractor who came to him for advice on solving an indoor air quality issue.
“A couple of my contractor peers asked me to help them with problem solving a client’s issue about their contaminated indoor air quality,” said East. “I was able to recommend step by step instructions on how to correct the issues. Once they performed the plan I laid out for them, it corrected the problem. These peers were the ones that recommended me to this association, which I was extremely happy to accept.”
If your home is experiencing any issues with indoor air quality, please call the experts at JW East Mechanical. We will not stop until the issue is resolved.