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Helping Contractors Coach Homeowners on IAQ

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How to Talk to Consumers About Indoor Air Quality

When homeowners are working through the home buying or remodeling process, it’s sometimes a challenge to help them understand the value of the features and products they can’t see but that make a tremendous difference in the performance of the house. The upscale countertops or freestanding tub are tangible wish list items that are top of mind, but a better building envelope that protects the home or a more efficient HVAC system are an unseen, harder upsell. So how can contractors navigate homebuyers to a more robust ventilation system and better indoor air?

Here are a few tips to consider and questions to ask homebuyers about their indoor air quality.

Educate consumers—both customers and non-customers

There’s never been a better time to talk to consumers about indoor air quality, with both COVID-19 and wellness/self-care topics center stage. Homeowners may not realize that the air inside their homes is far more polluted than what’s outside and how their daily activities can increase the problem. Pull-through marketing messages and in-person consultations should focus on teaching consumers about the potential pollution levels of indoor air and how it may be impacting the long-term health of their families, such as causing asthma or leading to frequent illness.

Incorporating data and visuals from reputable sources such as the EPA (starting with this page) can strengthen your message and provide actionable information for the buyer.

Ask questions about their home

Many homeowners likely don’t understand how air flows into, out of, and around their homes. Ask them if they know where their supply air is coming from. Ask them if they can smell last night’s fish dinner the next morning or if guests tend to get sleepy during parties; both are signs of poor ventilation that they can visualize. Then use those questions to start a conversation about how balanced ventilation works and why it’s important.

Demonstrate good-better-best ventilation opportunities

Having multiple options for a solution to poor indoor air quality, each showing the potential positive impact, can help homeowners better visualize their options and make more confident choices. A tiered approach may include:

  • Good: An important step above code, with balanced ventilation and a baseline fresh air appliance with up to 60% energy recovery. Including HEPA filtration also can further the impact of the fresh air appliance.
  • Better: Inclusion of a fresh air appliance with recovery up to 80%, such as Fantech’s HERO or ATMO units. This also could include units with recovery up to 82% and an EC motor for increased energy efficiency.
  • Best: Fresh air appliance plus VOC sensing. Fresh air appliances are designed to run continuously at low speeds, but adding an automated sensor like the EcoTouch IAQ allows the unit to ramp up automatically when it detects higher levels of VOCs or humidity, such as from cooking or a party.

Fantech can help support your homeowner education efforts through our literature and sales team. To get started, reach out to your local rep, access our shareable resources, and check out our blog and newsletter for new tips, visuals, and new technologies.

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