HOW TO IMPROVE THE AIR QUALITY IN YOUR HOME
We generally think of air pollution as being outside of our homes and appearing in forms such as smog, pollen, or that haze hanging in the air especially during summer month. The reality is that the air inside our homes, offices and other buildings can often be just as polluted, if not more so, than the air outside.
Dust, mold, mildew, pet dander (even if you don’t own pets) and odors in our homes can cause headaches, scratchy throats and itchy eyes. In this mix of household irritants you’ll may also find lead, formaldehyde, fire retardants, radon and volatile chemicals from common household cleaners. And lets not forget about one of the more major culprits of allergies – microscopic dust mites.
The Indoor Air Quality Scientific Findings Resource Bank reports that about 20% of all common respiratory infections and approximately 4.6 million cases of asthma are the result of mold. The elderly, children and people with asthma, are especially sensitive to indoor pollutants.
So how do you protect your loved ones? There are several things you can do to minimize and control the quality of air in your home.
Heating and cooling systems drop dust particles along the duct walls. You should have your ducts professionally cleaned at least once every five years as part of your regular home maintenance routine. Clean ducts reduce the amount of animal dander, dust and other allergens as well as remove carbon monoxide, nitrogen gases and move odors. Having clean ducts will also increase air circulation and ventilation increasing the efficiency of your HVAC system.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT FILTER FOR YOUR HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM
To remove large airborne particles such as dust, pollen pet dander and insect allergens use a pleated filter. Pleated filters have a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating of 1 to 4 and do an excellent job or removing these larger particles. Pleated filters should be changed monthly.
To remove large particles AND smaller airborne particles such as mold, viruses, and bacteria, use a media or electrostatic filter. These filters have a MERV ratings of 5 to 13 and are adequate for most homes. They need to be changed every three months.
If someone in your home has severe allergies or a compromised immune system then a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air) may be the best choice for you. They have a MERV rating of 14 to 16. HEPA filters should be changed monthly for best results.
HOW TO HANDLE TOUGH ALLERGEN PROBLEMS
When ordinary filters, like the ones mentioned above are not quite cutting it, an air cleaning device may be in order. Portable air cleaning are also a good idea for homes that don’t have central heating or cooling systems. These systems destroy viruses and bacteria in one of two ways – ultra violet radiation to destroy the pollutants or by producing an ozone that neutralizes the pollutants rendering them harmless.
ADD A CLEANING DEVICE TO YOUR DUCTWORK
A qualified NATE certified HVAC technician, like All Weather Heating and Cooling, can install a whole house air cleaner to your homes system. These whole house cleaners capture dust mites, pet dander, mold, pollen, bacteria and viruses using electrostatic precipitators, gas-phase filters, and ultraviolet lamps.
LET YOUR HOME BREATHE! OPEN THE WINDOWS
On dry, warm sunny days that aren’t too hot, or in the evening when the sun is setting, open the windows. Fresh circulating air will help remove stale smells and lower indoor humidity which helps reduce the growth of mold and mildew.
When taking showers or doing laundry in smaller enclosed spaces such as bathrooms and laundry rooms, turn on a stand alone fan or ceiling fan to keep those rooms dry. In the kitchen, turn on your cooking appliances to exhaust humidity and odors from boiling or friend foods outside.
Call us today for our $70 HVAC Inspection at 843.236.7142
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Credits: All Weather