According to WHO, indoor air pollution kills approximately 4 million people annually. And considering most Americans spend roughly 90% of their time indoors, it is high time they start considering their indoor air quality seriously.
So, to what extent is indoor air harmful? And what can you do to maintain top air quality safe for you and your family? This post seeks to answer these questions, among others, comprehensively. Sound good? Let us dive in.
How Healthy Indoor Air Quality Is Important
Improving your indoor air quality is critical to creating an overall healthy home environment. And it is an excellent way of keeping irritants and allergens at bay, thus reducing the chances of developing asthma and allergen-related symptoms.
Polluted outdoor air can leak through your windows and doors into your home’s interior. But research has found that indoor air can be five times as polluted as outdoor air. By addressing indoor contaminants effectively, you freshen up your indoor air and safeguard yourself and family against allergen exposure and infections.
The Truth about Indoor Air Quality
Everyone is at risk of exposure to indoor air pollutants. And those with weak immune systems or spend most of their time indoors are more vulnerable to indoor pollution’s long-term effects.
Accumulated air contaminants make indoor air damp, stale, unpleasant to breathe, and unsafe for your respiratory system.
To improve your indoor air quality, it is best first to identify the typical indoor air pollution culprits. They include:
» Dust:
It is the combination of dirt, carpet fiber, and dead skin cells. Dust accumulates in your home when neglect HVAC maintenance, thus compromising ventilation. Dust being a leading cause of respiratory allergies, you must prevent its accumulation in your home.
» Moisture:
Moisture accumulation comes laden with several health hazards, including mildew, biological growth, and dust mites. These pollutants often cause shortness in breath and allergies when breathed in.
» Volatile organic compounds(VOCs):
Everyday furnishing and building materials in our homes emit evaporated substances, such as pesticides and formaldehyde. When allowed to accumulate to particular concentration levels, these VOCs can cause nausea, headaches, and damage your nervous system, liver, and kidney.
» Combustion Products:
Fuel-burning equipment, including furnace, dryer, and water heater, release toxic products such as carbon monoxide (CO2). Failure to ventilate your gas-powered appliances can lead to the accumulation of these products, some of which are lethal. For example, CO2 is undetectable and can kill quickly.
» Radon:
Radon is an odorless, radioactive gas produced naturally when radioactive metals breakdown in soil, rocks, and groundwater. It can leak into your home through the foundation, exposing you and your family to a greater risk of developing lung cancer.
What Can Be Done to Improve Indoor Air Quality?
- » Focus on Air Filter
- » Don’t Skip Other Household Air Filters.
- » Clean your Air Ducts Regularly
- » Use Combustion Products Carefully
- » Use Cooking Vents
- » Control Humidity Level inside Home
» Focus on Air Filter
Neglected AC filters eventually clog, affecting your home’s air quality besides wearing down your HVAC system. Clean and change your air filters regularly or have an HVAC professional do so, especially if you are prone to allergies or live in a highly polluted area.
Also Read: How Often Do I Really Need to Change My Furnace Filter?
» Don’t Skip Other Household Air Filters.
The AC system is not the only air cleaner in your home. As you take care of your AC filters, pay equal attention to other household equipment’s air filters every few months. Have a professional inspect and maintain your kitchen vents, clothes dryers, and vacuum cleaners occasionally.
» Clean your Air Ducts Regularly
Dust, biological growth, and other contaminants lurking unmaintained or incorrectly installed air ducts increase the risk of allergies and other health issues. It, therefore, helps to clean your ducts frequently. However, duct cleaning requires special tools that you may not find in your garage. Instead, have an air duct cleaning specialist do the job.
» Use Combustion Products Carefully
Fuel-burning cooking and heat appliances, including furnace, fireplaces, and water heater, emit harmful contaminants that can negatively impact your health when absorbed into your bloodstream. For superior air quality in your home, ventilate your combustion appliances and limit the use of combustion materials like tobacco in your home.
» Use Cooking Vents
Cooking releases smoke, grease, carbon monoxide, odors, and other pollutants into the air. Allowing these contaminants to accumulate in your kitchen compromises the air quality significantly. Turn on your kitchen vents when cooking and open your windows to enhance airflow.
» Control Humidity Level inside Home
High indoor humidity is a catalyst for mildew and moisture-related growth. It also facilitates a healthy growing environment for microbes that infections and respiratory diseases. Place humidifiers in strategic spots to help maintain appreciable humidity and air quality levels in your home.
How Effective Are Air Filter Systems Against Covid-19?
Air filter systems can play a part in the overall COVID-19 mitigation approach, but cannot be regarded as a solution. There is no direct scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of air quality products against COVID-19.
However, homeowners benefit from reduced exposure as some filters can remove particles containing coronavirus from the interiors. But do not take these products as preventive devices against COVID-19. Follow stipulated guidelines to protect yourself against COVID-19. And most importantly, have a professional familiar with air quality products and your AC system install and maintain filters in the appropriate systems.
Schedule HVAC Maintenance Services with Conejo Valley Home Services
Do you suspect that the quality of your indoor air is below par? Conejo Valley Home Services can help. We are a family-owned and operated company committed to offering the best HVAC products and HVAC services in Conejo Valley, CA. With over four decades in industry experience, we are sure to tackle any air conditioning and heating problem. Effectively, professionally, and in compliance with industry standards. Contact us today at (805) 499-0448 to learn more about our services or discuss your HVAC needs.
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