HVAC IAQ - A Contractors Guide to Indoor Air Quality

Succeeding as an HVAC contractor often comes down to not only skill, but also providing the right products and services. In today’s health-conscious climate, the interest in air purification and sanitation is growing at a significant rate. More customers are looking for ways to enhance the air quality in homes and commercial spaces. As an HVAC contractor, you can meet this need and provide a valuable service for your customers. In this article, we will break down exactly what you need to know about your role in improving indoor air quality for your clients.

What is IAQ?

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a term that is used to describe the quality of the air within a space specifically in relation to health. The quality of air can vary significantly, even in homes in a shared neighborhood or rooms in a shared building. There are many factors that determine and influence the quality of the air.

Some considerations for indoor air quality come down to the feeling of the air itself. Temperature and humidity can play a role in IAQ, especially if they are severe enough to cause additional or unexpected problems. These problems can apply to both the property and the people within it.

In addition to the comfort that the air quality provides, there are several health considerations at play. Ventilation can play a large role in the quality of air, often influencing other air quality factors. Mold, viruses, chemicals, and other dangerous factors can all influence an air supply.

HVAC IAQ, in particular, focuses on the use of systems that blend directly with HVAC systems. These systems offer filtration right at the source, increasing the air quality of an entire space on a much larger level. An HVAC system with added IAQ technology can have a significant positive impact.

Why is IAQ Important?

The indoor air quality of a space is important because of how it can influence the people in that space. Indoor air quality can cause problems for our bodies, sometimes leading to severe outcomes and even illness. When indoor air quality is good, the human body feels supported and healthy. When it isn’t, various negative consequences can arise, ranging from discomfort to actual illness and sometimes worse.

Beyond the effects that IAQ can have on the human body, it is also important because of how significantly it can vary. The indoor air quality of an entire area can be bad, negatively impacting local residents. Areas can be influenced by spreading viruses, dangerous toxins, and excessive mold growth. Being able to push back to create safe indoor spaces is essential, particularly around certain kinds of areas and construction sites.

The IAQ of a space can also be a consideration for productivity with businesses. Poor IAQ can lead to headaches, nausea, and an inability to focus. This means that, ultimately, employees who work in these environments can suffer lower productivity. Managing indoor air quality can create a safer workspace.

Applications for IAQ Technology

HVAC systems with IAQ addons act as a filter that will remove unwanted toxins, with some even personally disabling dangerous microbial matter. From removing excess humidity to purifying the air, IAQ technology can help any space.

Residential

For residential use, you target customer is the homeowner who is seeking out a whole home air purifier. This technology can be applied directly to the existing HVAC system in many cases, allowing homeowners to receive fresher air on day one. By operating in a central space, IAQ technology can improve the indoor air quality of the entire home.

Commercial

While we all love fresh air in our homes, having fresh air in the spaces that we visit is equally as important. A commercial air purifier can be particularly beneficial in hospitals, dental practices, and other medical offices. Since these systems can remove dangerous microbial matter from the air supply, health practices can really protect their patients.

In addition to health practices, the workplaces where we spend most of our week can benefit as well. As an HVAC contractor installing IAQ technology, you can provide support for schools, office buildings, and other shared spaces in your area.

Reasons to Sell HVAC IAQ

Increase Your Average Order Value (AOV)

Offering HVAC IAQ technology to your list of services might influence the inherent value for your clients but it also enhances the monetary value of your orders. These installations offer a very high-margin job for you. In many cases, the addition of HVAC IAQ technology can increase the value of an order by several thousand dollars.

Whether you are offering a standalone addition or pairing it with a new HVAC installation, this is a valuable option to provide. You can easily take any order and upsell this addition with a large payout on your end. This is an upgrade that increases value without demanding too much of you.

Mitigate Seasonality in Your Business

Here in the South, it’s no secret that the contractor’s selling season is during the hottest months of the year. By offering IAQ as one of your core offerings, you can help subsidize the seasonality in your business. When the fall months hit, you should be promoting IAQ anywhere and everywhere.

Enjoy Easy Installation

Adding IAQ systems to an order can significantly increase your average order value, yet it doesn’t have to increase your labor needs. These systems are notoriously easy to install and can provide you with plenty of perks for a very small amount of effort. The average installation can take as little as 30 minutes, and most installations don’t take more than an hour. The trade-off of one additional hour of labor for several thousand extra dollars has clear benefits.

Proven Health Benefits for Your Customers

Successful career HVAC contractors often find their path to success by providing care and support for their customers. In this case, you can provide a huge health boost for your homeowners and any visitors that they might have. Standard HVAC units are common household essentials, but HVAC IAQ systems can provide comfort, relief, and safety on a whole new level.

A Growing Interest in HVAC IAQ Technology

The world is becoming more health conscious, leading many people to take active steps to support their health. Indoor air quality is becoming an even bigger area of focus as prominent health officials conduct more research into air quality and what it means for us.

Though most people are interested in removing unnecessary toxins from their spaces, the focus on microbes is at an all-time high. Following the pandemic, more homeowners and businesses alike are looking for ways to remove dangerous pathogens from their air. Doing so can slow the spread of viruses—and even save lives. With the shift towards this interest, it is important to stay up to date on this trend to ensure that you can offer the services your clients are looking for.

How to Upsell HVAC IAQ

Every HVAC contractor knows that some upsell items are easier to promote than others. Even good technology can be a hard sell when your client is only interested in saving money. Fortunately, the clear value adds that HVAC IAQ systems offer can be a very easy sell to make if you focus on the right benefits.

Seasonal Needs

The interest in HVAC IAQ systems goes up seasonally. This is because, in addition to pushing back against bacteria and viruses, these systems can also manage allergens. For allergy sufferers, having a home with one of these systems can make a huge difference. Providing your customers with a way to eliminate those pesky allergens and alleviate their seasonal suffering is a big sell.

Medical Needs

Allergies can be a huge problem for your clients—but they become more dangerous when they are compounded with other medical concerns. For example, a person who suffers from both allergies and asthma can find themselves really struggling during certain seasons. Allergies worsen asthma, and many other air quality factors can play a role too. One HVAC IAQ system can manage them all.

During the pandemic, we were all left scrambling to find ways to limit our exposure and slow the spread of the virus. This is something that can be done with this technology. Businesses, homes, and medical practices alike can protect those who are at risk—and those who aren’t—simply by embracing a system that promotes better indoor air quality. For some people, this can really be a matter of overall health and recovery, particularly for young children and the elderly.

General Health and Comfort

Chances are that you are pretty invested in your family’s health. These systems can have a huge impact on protecting and preserving general health and comfort. Even if an at-home HVAC IAQ system doesn’t save someone’s life, it might be able to stop a seasonal cold from tearing through a family or just make the air more pleasant to breathe. These systems support healthier living with every breath that you take—and your customers deserve to know the benefits that they can bring.

Using Shearer Supply to Meet Your Customer Needs

At Shearer Supply, we provide the best HVAC equipment, parts, and supplies to help contractors meet the needs of their customers. We know that indoor air quality in recent years is a huge point of focus. Whether you are looking for a whole home air purifier or a commercial air purifier, we are happy to help you with our core IAQ brands:

RGF Environmental

RGF offers incredible HVAC IAQ products, including their REME HALO and REME HALO-LED products. REME HALO products use the power of the sun’s UV properties to enhance spaces and naturally sanitize the air.  The REME HALO-LED system offers the same benefits with added eco-friendliness with a system that is designed to conserve energy and lasts 2.5 times longer. Both systems utilize smart technology to respond directly to threats. One small sneeze will set these systems into action.

Respicaire

Respicaire is another leading brand, and they have changed the game with the OXY 4^tm Air Purifier. This system offers the most advanced OXY-QUAD^tm chamber with enhanced photo-catalytic reactive processes. The increased surface produces 4 to 6 times more clean air than other leading products in the industry. Pairing this with its UVC technology, it can easily reduce bad microbial matter.

The Takeaway

As more people learn about the value that increasing indoor air quality can bring, the interest in it is only going to grow. Your customers are already looking for this technology, and they need someone to install it for them. Choose Shearer Supply for your IAQ headquarters and shop our expansive product lines to help you to meet the needs of your customers!