Case Study: Air Purification After Hurricane Harvey

After Hurricane Harvey dropped so much rain in the Houston area, flooding was intense and air purification for flooded homes was necessary. Along with traditional mold remediation, smart HVAC expertise had a role to play to improve a flooded home’s indoor air quality.

Water Damage & Your AC

After the water subsided and in some places that took weeks, the race was on to remove debris and muck out homes so they could be dried out as quickly as possible.

Water damage in our especially warm and humid climate along the Texas Gulf Coast means that mold is a very real danger. High levels of mold are bad for indoor air quality and if not addressed can affect health. (See our post: Water Safety for Your Home.) This is why one of our clients was afraid to move back into their home.

Mold Remediation After a Flood & Its Effects on Indoor Air Quality

They live in a two-story home in Cinco Ranch and had received 40 inches of floodwater in their Katy home. The remediation contractor they hired had worked diligently to remove damaged drywall, flooring and other debris to dry out the home as quickly as possible. But when they tested the home’s indoor air quality, it was in the red, showing high levels of mold. It also had a dank smell that many homes have after they are being cleaned up because mold grows so quickly and is hard to remove.

Terry’s A/C and Heating was called in to help improve the indoor air quality after the home was free of water because of the danger of mold invading the home. We installed top of the line, in-duct air purifiers — REME HALO^® In-duct Air Purifiers in their home to see if they could remove the bad smell and the mold spores. This air purification system is designed to actively clean or “scrub” the air throughout the home. It naturally eliminates 99% of bacteria, viruses, and mold. This is the type of system that is often used in industrial/commercial contexts, such as hospitals, large buildings, schools, and restaurants to clean the air and prevent “sick building syndrome” and “dirty sock syndrome.”

Results of Adding a Whole Home Air Purification System After Flood Damage

After circulating the air in the home 24 hours a day for a little over a week with the new air purifiers, the remediators returned and re-tested the air. They were surprised with what they saw and the fact that the mildewy smell was gone.  The homeowner told us, “When I close my eyes, my home is back together. It smells like my home again.” The remediators asked, “What did you do?” The indoor air quality they measured was back in the green, healthy category. It was definitive proof that having air purifiers can make a very large difference in indoor air quality after a flood.

After the stress of having a house contaminated with mold and devastated by flood waters, the peace of mind the air purifiers provided gave this couple the confidence they needed to complete the repairs on their home. They previously thought their home could not be restored and worried about the threat of mold. We were honored to be able to offer a permanent solution to not only keep their home comfortable but also keep their home free of humidity and mold.

Got Allergies or Mold? We Can Help

If airborne allergies or indoor air quality is a concern in your home or office, give Rob and Kenny at Terry’s A/C & Heating a call at 281-495-7830. We can offer solutions to help you combat allergens like mold that are often present after bad weather, flooding, or a plumbing break.

As a RUUD ProPartner, we are a small, family-owned HVAC business dedicated to treating our customers like family. We serve the Katy, Fulshear, Richmond, Rosenberg, and the West Houston area including neighborhoods like Cinco Ranch. See what our customers say about us, and what makes us different from other air conditioning and heating contractors. We would be honored to have the chance to serve you.