There is more to your indoor air than meets the eye. Even though you probably just did some spring cleaning on your windows, walls and carpets, don’t forget to address one of the most important areas within your home—your air.
Many allergy symptom triggers lurk in your home, but often go unnoticed. Microscopic particles such as dust, smoke, pet dander, lint and pollen can litter your air and cause a flare up of your allergies or asthma. Even though you can’t see these particles, they can take a serious toll on your health.
Smoke, bacteria and dust are usually .3 microns or smaller. At such a small size, these allergens can travel deep into your lungs because they are too small to be filtered by your nose and throat. Since your body cannot naturally filter these allergens from the air you breathe, they can cause problems like frequent headaches, bronchitis, and colds. Take matters into your own hands and be sure these pesky particles are filtered before they ever reach your nose.
How to Test Your Air Quality
While the best air quality tests are performed by professionals, there are some simple, at- home tests you can do to see if your air quality is causing your health symptoms.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a very dangerous, odorless gas that can be fatal when built up and inhaled. The presence of carbon monoxide leads to flu-like symptoms, loss of consciousness and sometimes death. Fortunately, all you need to do to test for carbon monoxide and keep yourself and your family safe is to install carbon monoxide detectors. They will measure the levels in your home and alert you of any issues.
Radon
This contaminant is the second leading cause of lung cancer, so it is important to test for its presence in your home. Radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally found when uranium breaks down in soil. It can seep into your home and silently poison you and your loved ones.
You can buy at-home radon tests at most home improvement stores. They usually use a charcoal reading that is collected from your home over a set period of time. You simply mail your sample to a lab and they provide you with results.
If your results do show a high radon level, don’t pack your bags and plan to sell your home. You can take many simple measures, such as caulking and sealing your foundation, to reduce your radon exposure.
Allergens and Indoor Pollutants
A great way to continuously monitor the levels of pollutants in your home is the Speck. This device measures levels of harmful particles over time, so you can adjust your behavior to improve your air quality. It can detect microscopic particles and alert you about any changes in contaminant concentration. Your local library likely has a free Speck device that you can borrow, or you can purchase one for yourself for less than $200.
If testing and making changes to your air quality doesn’t solve your health symptoms, or if you are experiencing symptoms such as nausea, rash, fever or dizziness, it’s best to contact a professional for help. Professionals can test for a variety of pollutants, including:
• Indoor mold
• Lead-based paint
• Dust particles and other allergens
• Smoke-related air pollution
• Air fresheners, candles, and incense• Household cleaners
• Combustion particles or gases
Get Help
If you need assistance with your home’s air quality, contact a Trane Comfort Specialist at Elite Comfort Home and Commercial Services to help you track down pollutants and find the solution that’s best for you. Improving your air quality may be as easy as choosing a new air filter or using an air purifier.
You can also greatly improve your air quality with a whole-house filtration system like the Trane CleanEffects Air Cleaner. To learn more about professional air testing, or Trane’s comprehensive line of air purifying products, contact Elite Comfort today at 832-304-7957 or click here (https://elitecomfortservices.com/contact/).
Our (~8 year old) mini split/ductless Air Conditioner developed a bad coil leak and broke down on us last week (fan still ran but no cooling or Freon left). We called around looking to repair the unit but were told by several companies that the unit was beyond repair. We then did some research on line to look for a company to replace our AC unit and landed on a couple of names based on the (good) review record on line. Elite Comfort was one of the 2 companies that we contacted.
Elite Comfort’s Bobby Thiry got back with us and immediately scheduled a visit the very next day. Bobby came to our house, inspected the old unit, and presented and thoroughly reviewed several different options for a replacement unit. After a quick “cost vs. benefit” comparison, we decided to go with Elite Comfort.
Elite Comfort’s 3-man crew (Joel, Alfredo, and Adrian) showed up the very next day with the new equipment, then proceeded to replace our AC system in a matter of some 6-7 hours. The crew was very competent, courteous, and professional. Bobby even cut out and brought a wood panel (from his personal workshop, we believe) to help “hide” the existing gaping hole where the old unit was mounted. Bobby also came back the next day to help us set up Kumo Cloud which allows us to control the new AC unit remotely via WiFi.
We are extremely happy with our new mini split/ductless AC unit. We recommend Elite Comfort to anybody, anytime! Thank you again Elite Comfort.
Hung Tonthat
I have to say that I was blown away by the service yesterday and today. It far exceeded any expectations I had.
The crew was not only extremely kind and considerate at my home, (they would say hi to my dog, nice to my kids, and cleaned up like it was their Grandmas house), they came every day with great attitudes (it’s not a glamorous/comfortable job to have but even when breathing insulation and sweating their ass*s off they were so polite and happy). Everyone was friendly with NO creep factor (this is a biggie, as a young women I’ve had some creepy workers at my house and its uncomfortable). They cared about what was important to me and not only addressed it once but multiple times to show that they cared too. Not just one person but EVERY employee so I knew everyone was on board with delivering some quality work. I’m so worried about mold so they sealed my boxes about a million times to make sure it was good plus showed me what they were doing the during the entire process and at completion.
For me, when I let people into my home they are like part of my family. I’m trusting them with all my belongings and children and it’s a big deal to have people I can trust. Jorge jr did a great job leading the team and communicating with me. After talking to him I would like to add whatever yearlt service yall have. He said it was every 6 months. I know you told me about it but I cant remember details.
It was a huge financial decision which I didn’t take lightly. I still wasnt sure if I was making the right decision until today. When I saw everything come together and how incredible the equipment works, I have no doubt I made the right choice to replace my hvac PLUS I picked the right company!
Thanks again for being so personable and helpful in this decision and for caring enough to keep a hardworking team. It’s the people that make the company and yall have the best!
I’ll definitely be recommending yall to all my friends!
Alex Koberstein
I called to get a furnace inspection. When I asked what dates were available, the operator (Janelle) mentioned first availability was 11am. I responded 11am as in today (it was 10:30am). She responded yes and within 10 min, I received a text the technician was on his way. By 11am technician was at my home. Wow, that is fast service and I only needed an inspection. Technician (Michael) was very thorough, explained and answered all my questions. he found a loose wire, which I suspect had been loosened and left unplugged by another company which had done inspection. This other company told me the furnace coil was bad and tried to sell me a new coil worth approximately $5000. Always get a second opinion. In the end I only paid for the inspection, new maintenance plan and replaced a capacitor which was not bad, but recommended as was close to failing. I am not an expert in HVAC but I can usually tell when someone is being honest. This company, Elite Comfort is fast, thorough, and honest with reasonable rates. One cannot ask for more. Definitely recommend them.
Richard P.
Today, Jorge Sr. and Jorge Jr. came out to my house and replaced the leaking Lennox evap coil. They did such a great job, and I want to let you know that. I have never experienced an HVAC team that is so professional and knowledgeable, and willing to answer all of my questions as these two. They put on shoe covers and cover the floor with tarp to keep everything clean. Their whole positive attitude throughout the job–the way they act and behave–really sets them and your company apart from the rest.
I have seen other contractors go into my house before, and the way those other contractors go about doing the job–I always question whether they will wind up breaking something else in the process. But for Jorge Sr. and Jr., they for some reason made me feel at ease as they work throughout most of the morning.
Thanks again Chris and your team for a great job. I’m very glad I called you for a second opinion.
Trang L.
In March of 2015, my husband and I decided to replace our A/C and heating system. Our electric bills were exceeding $30.00 during the summer months. Our unit would not cool certain rooms well, and our home was very dusty. We had several companies provide us with recommendations and quotes to replace our A/C. One of the companies we called was Elite Comfort Home and Commercial Services. That’s when we met Chris. Chris took time to ask us questions about our current system, the problems we were having and what we were looking for. He measured our home, completed a load calculation and provided us with three options. After considering the various quotes we received, we elected to go with Elite Comfort. We chose Elite because they seemed to be the most professional and definite the most thorough. We chose to install a Trane 18 Seer system which was the most expensive of the three options we received from Chris. Today we are very glad we chose Elite Comfort Home and Commercial Services and the Trane system. Our house is finally comfortable throughout. We are saving money every month, our electric bill went down over $180.00 per month this summer, even with the extremely hot summer we had. Chris estimated our energy savings at 40%, but we are saving 50-60%! We also had a Trane Clean Effects installed, and it greatly reduced the amount of dust in our home and given us some allergy related relief. We highly recommend Elite Comfort Home and Commercial Services! They are courteous and professional. The Trane system they installed for us not only exceeds the estimated energy savings we were hoping to see but had dramatically improved how our home feels.
Cindy R.
COULDN’T BE HAPPIER! I bought a rental house for my son and his family in Kingwood. The furnace pilot wouldn’t light and they needed heat asap because winter “hit” and they have twin toddler girls. I called these guys around 1:00 today and Charles promised me (without me even asking) that he would have someone out today, if not tonight to make sure they had heat tonight. And… they did. By 4:30 today, they had come out and fixed it! They told me the furnace was indeed old (which I knew) and eventually the valve would need to be replaced, BUT he didn’t try to sell me on it, but rather told me various options and made me comfortable. We own two houses and will definitely be calling them back for ALL things related to AC & Heating or anything they know how to do for my house! Thank you so much. Happy Happy Happy. ? USE THEM.
Celeste B.
The folks at Elite pride themselves on doing good business and I truly believe that. After recurring cooling issues had surfaced on my 3yr old system (not previously installed by Elite), Elite sent over the best-of-the-best to help me. I had used their services in the early days of their business and this time, a totally new business showed up.
In a uniform on a Saturday morning and at my door was one of their tops techs, Cecil, and Chris, the VP of Services, who is a 3rd generation HVAC guru. These are the guys you can only hope show up at your door as you navigate the sea of questionable contractors!
Within 15 minutes of arrival, no joke, the problem was diagnosed. After months and months of cooling issues that seemed so trivial, I just couldn’t believe it was that easy for them to spot.
He confidently diagnosed the issue, showed the refrigerant leak to me, explained the mechanics behind it and offered a solution. I was literally in tears and was very pleased with this step because I was able to actually see the issue for myself rather than just taking someone’s word at face value.
Not only was I impressed but it restored my trust and confidence in knowing that providing outstanding customer service is still at the forefront of business, rather than it being just an extension or an afterthought.
That said, I look forward to a longlasting relationship with Elite Comfort for years to come and am confident that the collective experience, trained eye and passion for customer service demonstrated by their Top Management/Ownership certainly has a trickle-down effect on their tech teams. You will be getting honest, efficient and genuine service!
Thanks Charles, Chris and Cecil for taking care of me!!