How to Monitor Your Indoor Air Quality

July 23, 2014

Is the air in your home and office clean and healthy to breathe? If you think air pollution only occurs outside, you’re sadly mistaken. Indoor pollution sources, such as oil, gas, coal, wood, cleaning products, and so much more release gas or particles into the air, making it unsafe.

Buildings without adequate ventilation can have higher levels of pollutants, as they don’t bring in enough outside air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and carry indoor pollutants outside. Above-average temperature and humidity levels can also increase the strength of some pollutants.

Unhealthy air quality levels can also foster the growth of mold. It’s important to monitor the level of moisture indoors to prevent indoor growth. For example, one common place for indoor mold growth is the HVAC system. To help prevent this, you must ensure drip pans are clean and drain lines are flowing properly.

Top 5 Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Tools

Now that you understand the importance of monitoring your indoor air quality, it’s important to choose the right device to help you do it correctly. The following five confined space air monitoring tools are highly recommended:

  1. VelociCalc: This device measures air velocity and can calculate air flow based on the size and shape of your ducts. It can also measure differential pressure. The intuitive user interface and step-by-step instructions will help you through the setup, operation and field calibration process. The VelociCalc features “smart” plug-in probes, multiple data logging formats and Bluetooth compatibility.
  2. Accubalance Balometer: This multipurpose electronic air balancing instrument reads air volume flow at diffusers and grilles. It’s a great choice for facilities managers, commissioning agents, test engineers, test and balance professionals and health and safety specialists. The ultra-lightweight ergonomic design makes it easy for one person to use.
  3. Q-Trak Indoor Air Quality Monitor: This handheld, multi-function test instrument includes a user-friendly interface and offers quick, accurate information to measure and analyze important IAQ parameters, including CO, CO2, Temperature and Humidity. The device features an ergonomic case design with probe holder and keypad lock out, to ensure it’s not tampered with when unattended. It also works with a wide-variety of plug-in probes, increasing its possible applications.
  4. IAQ-CALC Indoor Air Quality Monitor: Enjoy the ability to get a quick and easy indoor air quality assessment by using this device. Not only can it display up to three parameters, it also features a low-drift NDIR CO2 censor for accurate readings, sampling function records multiple measurements, and it directly calculates dew point and wet bulb temperatures. The TSI LogDat2TM software also makes it easy to transfer data to a computer.
  5. Zefon Bio-Pump Plus: As the smallest and lightest portable battery powered indoor air quality sampling pump available, this device serves as the easiest way to sample with Air-O-Cell® and Via-Cell® cassettes at a flow rate of 15LPM. It features an extra long battery life, quiet operation and has nothing to prepare or clean.

Regardless of your budget, Eco-Rental Solutions has the indoor air quality meter to fit your needs. We pride ourselves on providing outstanding customer service, high-quality equipment, and competitive rates. We have four locations in New York, Missouri, and California. Request a quote today!