American Homeowners Placing Greater Focus on their Homes’ Indoor Air Quality in the New Year

MILWAUKEE — February 2, 2021 – With Americans spending more time at home in the past year, they’ve placed a greater focus on their homes’ health, safety and comfort. In fact, a recent survey from YORK® found more than one-quarter of homeowners plan to make safety improvements in their homes a top priority in 2021. Among these, 81% cited improving indoor air quality as primary focus.

In 2021, homeowners are recognizing the need for better air quality with nearly two in three (62%) believing that in-home air quality needs improvement, and four in five (81%) will make improving it a priority this year, especially those with children at home.

Indoor air can often contain bacteria, mold, dust, pet dander, allergens and hazardous airborne transmissions without proper filtration and humidity control, causing air quality in most homes to be 100 times worse than the air outside.

"Ensuring the health and safety of any indoor environment, especially at home, has been the cornerstone of Johnson Controls for 135 years,” said Tom Tasker, residential product manager, indoor air quality, Johnson Controls. "Nothing is more important than taking care of where you live, and it is our mission to protect the wellbeing of homeowners and their families by providing them with safe and clean air quality.”

In the survey, homeowners confessed they have held back from bettering the quality of air in their home in the past due to a number of reasons.

• Nearly three in four (73%) admit they have faced at least one barrier to improving their home's air quality, such as a lack of resources and know-how.

• 30% of those who struggled to take steps to improve air quality of their home admit they weren't sure where to begin.

• Others confess they were blind to the fact they could improve it (22%) or felt they didn't have the necessary tools or skills to make a difference (19%).

• 9% didn't know how to access their HVAC system.

Despite some barriers, the majority of homeowners have already taken steps to make the air in their home safer or plan to in the year ahead. This includes cleaning their kitchen ventilation systems above their cooking range, having their air ducts professionally cleaned, and replacing products entirely from air filters to entire HVAC systems. Others are seeking more natural solutions like purchasing more plants, placing air purifiers in rooms throughout the home and cutting back on or eliminating the use of certain harsh chemicals in order to make the air in their home safer.

YORK® offers a range of residential heating and cooling products to help homeowners improve air quality and create a safe, healthy and clean environment at home. To learn more about YORK® air quality solutions, such as whole home air cleaners, humidifiers and controls, visit www.york.com/residential-equipment/indoor-air-quality.

Methodology

The survey was conducted by Kelton Global on behalf of Johnson Controls and included 551 American homeowners aged 18 or older who participated in an online survey between December 7 and December 14, 2020. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.2%, from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all personas in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher.

About Johnson Controls

At Johnson Controls, we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. From optimizing building performance to improving safety and enhancing comfort, we drive the outcomes that matter most. We deliver our promise in industries such as healthcare, education, data centers and manufacturing. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries and over 130 years of innovation, we are the power behind our customers' mission. Our leading portfolio of building technology and solutions includes some of the most trusted names in the industry, such as Tyco®, YORK®, Metasys®, Ruskin®, Titus®, Frick®, Penn®, Sabroe®, Simplex®, Ansul® and Grinnell®. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.

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