It's great to go outside and get fresh air, however, you can only do so when the weather permits. It's even more enjoyable to be able to get fresh air inside your home. To make this happen, however, you must be conscious of the indoor air quality in your home and make an effort to maintain it.
The EPA estimates that the average American spends 90% time indoors -- where pollutants are two to five times more prevalent than outdoors. The health of an individual's body can be directly affected by air pollutants. These can have long-term or immediate consequences. Poor indoor air quality can have immediate and temporary effects. The symptoms of immediate air pollution effects can look like common viruses such as headaches, congestion, and coughing. Therefore, poor indoor air quality is often ignored. The delayed effects of air pollution can be fatal and severe for those most vulnerable, such as the elderly and children with weak immune systems. Many delayed effects don't show up until it is too late, so it is important to maintain good indoor air quality.
What Causes Indoor Air Pollution?
Many homeowners don't know they have pollutants in their homes. They can be difficult to detect with the naked eye. Poor indoor air quality can be caused by a variety of factors, such as formaldehyde and new furniture, paint on walls, poor insulation, cleaning chemicals, and lead. Clean air is essential because, although we know how dangerous pollutants can be, it's not known how people will react to them or what their consequences will be.
Why should you care so much about indoor air quality?
Simply put, everyone should be concerned about the quality and quantity of the air they inhale. This applies not only to the outside world but also inside their homes. Your indoor air quality may be more important than that of the outside because you spend more time and sleep in your home.
As any doctor will tell you, breathing in clean, fresh air is good for your overall health. Contrary to popular belief, breathing in dirty, dusty air can be detrimental to your overall health. Poor quality air can lead to asthma, allergies, and other health problems.
A cleaner environment with a lower level of impurities can improve mental clarity. Poor air quality in your home could cause difficulty with concentration.
How can you improve your home's air quality?
You now know the dangers of poor indoor air quality. Now you want to know how you can fix it. It is now easier than ever for you to improve the indoor air quality in your home thanks to continuous advancements in HVAC technology.
Tip #1
A great place to start is duct cleaning. If you have centralized air, this service will clean your ventilation ducts. These ducts can become clogged with dust, dirt, and dander over time. All of these contaminants can be removed by duct cleaning. This involves cleaning the ducts and then collecting them with a vacuum.
Tip #2
People with sensitive allergies or concerns about contracting illnesses can have UV lights installed in air ducts. The intense frequency of ultraviolet light waves destroys microscopic bacteria, mold spores, and insects. A Duke University study showed that 97% of the bacteria that are susceptible to UV light could be eliminated in a hospital setting.
Tip #3
Dryer Vent Cleaning is an important task!
While we're on the subject of improving the air quality and safety in your home, we want to pay attention to the dryer's vents. The dryer's lint trap captures lint, which prevents a dryer fire. The majority of laundry lint produced in an average load of laundry avoids the trap and ends up in the air conduit that runs between your dryer and the exterior wall of your house.
Worst-case scenario: The lint from the air duct could block the duct completely, trapping heat every time the dryer turns on. The trapped air can get so hot that it ignites the Lint and causes a house fire. You should have your dryer vent cleaned a minimum of once per year to prevent this dangerous situation from occurring in your home. Two to three dryer vent cleanings might be required for households that do laundry multiple times per week.
To Improve Indoor Air Quality, Contact Ingersoll’s Refrigeration Air Condition & Heating Inc
It is important to evaluate the condition of your home's indoor air quality. You show that you care about your family's safety and health by making efforts to improve indoor air quality. An energy audit can help you feel more confident, even if you don't think your home has poor indoor air quality. A professional HVAC company can help you take control of your indoor air quality and reduce the risk to your health.
You can get additional assistance in improving indoor air quality in Fairhope, Alabama & Baldwin County by contacting Ingersoll’s Refrigeration Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. There are many ways to improve the air quality in your home. We can seal your ducts and remove contaminants from your home.
Contact us today at 251-928-99392 to learn how we can reduce the contaminants in your home's air during spring.