At a lake home off Lake Lanier, a family was sure Georgia pollen was behind their allergies. When I opened the air handler, the drain pan was clogged and the cabinet was damp and dirty. We cleaned the system, cleared the drain and upgraded the filtration, and the house smelled and felt different within days.
Indoor air quality is not about buying gadgets. It is about finding what is wrong with the air in your house and fixing that.
Common sources in North Georgia homes
- Spring pollen tracked in and pulled through the system.
- Pet dander and dust.
- Damp air in basements, crawlspaces and homes near the lake.
- Odors and vapors from new furniture, flooring and new construction.
- Leaky return ducts pulling air from an attic or crawlspace.
What works, in order
1. Better filtration
A standard 1-inch filter catches the big particles. A 4- to 5-inch media filter at MERV 13 catches much finer dust and pollen and usually lasts 6 to 12 months. If your system has no media cabinet, we can usually add one.
2. Humidity control
Keep summer humidity around 45 to 55%. Many homes near Lake Lanier and on shaded lots benefit from a whole-home dehumidifier. In winter, a whole-home humidifier can help with dry air and static.
3. UV lights on the coil
UV-C light keeps the indoor coil and drain pan cleaner in a humid climate and helps with musty odors. It does not remove dust or pollen; that is the filter's job.
4. Sealing leaky returns
In older Roswell and Alpharetta homes, sealing return ducts that pull attic or crawlspace air is often the most overlooked fix.
5. Air purification add-ons
Activated carbon for odors and other add-ons make sense once the basics above are in place.
What to skip
- Ozone-producing "purifiers." Avoid them.
- Ionizers with no filter. They move particles onto your walls and furniture instead of removing them.
- Single-room units sold as whole-home fixes. They help one room, not the house.
How we approach it
We look at your system, your filter, the drain, humidity and the returns, then recommend the smallest fix that solves the problem first. Equipment such as media cabinets, UV lights, humidifiers and dehumidifiers is quoted in writing after we see the home. During a tune-up we check the coil, drain and filter as part of the visit.