2020 has been a particularly rough wildfire season for the western United States, leaving millions of people with unhealthy air quality for days or weeks at a time. With many experts predicting that wildfires will only get worse as the consequences of climate change accelerate, there needs to be a real conversation about the safety of living in places that can’t escape the path of destruction and whether that should be considered a luxury.

What is Luxury Air

The Los Angeles Times recently released an article focused on the concept of “luxury air.” This reflects a trend real estate agents in southern California have seen in recent years in which luxury home buyers have added deluxe air filtration systems to their “must-haves” list.

Homebuyers realize that the dangers of wildfire aren’t going anywhere. And while some are moving out, others are sticking around for work, family, lifestyle, and the otherwise pleasant weather.

From the article:

“[Luxury] homes are equipped with ventilation systems…with constant airflow out of areas that might produce moisture or particulate matter — kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms — and into the rest of the house, passing through MERV-15 filters en route. A separate ventilation system in the garage goes into overdrive to create negative pressure when a car pulls in, ensuring that exhaust and outside air don’t leak into the house.

…also equipped with indoor and outdoor sensors…which let residents monitor air quality and allow the system to react dynamically to contaminants….[The] house’s eco-conscious features also feed into maintaining healthy air: Without the solar and battery backup, the ventilation system would be useless during the blackouts that often accompany dire fire scenarios.”

Creating a Healthy Air Environment

While elaborate systems like the ones described above certainly qualify as a luxury, at AprilAire we believe that Healthy Air should be accessible to everyone.

We created the AprilAire Healthy Air System™ to help homeowners learn about the aspects of the home that aren’t often seen but have a large impact on health and comfort.

The AprilAire Healthy Air System®

Get an all-in-one, whole-house system that offers year-round fresh air ventilation, air purification, humidity control, and more

Learn More about this specific item

This easy-to-follow guide includes some facts and figures you’ll want to consider when setting up your home and shows how different air purifiers and ventilation systems will change the indoor air environment.

Contact an AprilAire Healthy Air Professional to talk about small changes that can make a big difference for the air quality of your home environment, during wildfire season and all year long.

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