Poor indoor air qualityDid you know that most of the pollutants in your home that cause problems are odourless and virtually undetectable?
But they are there, floating around in the air and posing health risks if not properly addressed.
While it’s great to throw open your window during a warm sunny day to let the fresh air into your home, ensuring good indoor air quality has to be taken into consideration all year round.
Keep reading to find out why indoor air quality is important and how you can take steps to improve the air inside of your home:
What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?
Poor indoor air quality can be caused by pollutants in your home, improper airflow, or a combination of the two.
There are a variety of sources of indoor air pollution, with the most common being combustion sources such as gas and oil furnaces and heaters (which release carbon dioxide) and vehicles that emit dangerous carbon monoxide.
However, indoor air pollution can also originate from building materials such as insulation and furnishings such as carpets. Household cleaning products can contribute to indoor air pollution as well.
Another factor to consider when it comes to poor indoor air quality is ventilation. If not enough outdoor air enters your home, pollutants will accumulate over time and pose certain health risks.
What Are the Effects of Poor Air Quality?
In a typically maintained home, poor air quality does not pose a significant threat to the health of your family.
However, poor air quality does not affect everyone the same and some family members may be more sensitive to pollutants than others.
If they are, you may notice symptoms such as:
- Headaches
- Dry and irritated eyes
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Allergies and hypersensitivity
- Coughing and sneezing
- Sinus congestion
- Dizziness
- Nausea
Generally, those who suffer from these symptoms notice relief when they are away from the home for a period of time.
However, more serious health conditions can arise if a home is particularly polluted and has extremely poor air quality – mainly, carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide poisoning happens when carbon monoxide replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with carbon monoxide – leading to tissue damage or death.
Carbon monoxide is colourless, tasteless, and odourless therefore making it hard to detect.
You can prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by installing carbon monoxide detectors or avoiding the risk of carbon monoxide leaking into your home entirely by scheduling regular furnace maintenance services.
How to Improve the Air Quality In Your Home
Modern HVAC systems, such as furnaces and air conditioners, are designed to ventilate buildings and minimize indoor pollution with air-cleaning technologies such as air filters, gas-phase filters, and ozone generators.
Improving the air quality in your home means ensuring you have the right furnace or air conditioner for your space and climate. For instance, certain weather conditions may limit the amount of fresh air coming into your home, so you may require a more robust system.
The same goes for larger spaces that need more powerful HVAC systems to adequately ventilate the interior of your home.
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Regular maintenance of your furnace and air conditioning systems is crucial as well! Avoiding proper maintenance of your heating system or air conditioning units can lead to poor air quality due to clogged air filters.
Plus, if your air filters are clogged, your system has to work harder to maintain your preferred level of comfort in your home – which can negatively impact the system’s energy efficiency and increase your utility bills.
Overall, the best way to improve the air quality in your home is to take advantage of AC services that provide professional maintenance and repair services.
Other Ways You Can Improve the Air Quality In Your Home
Along with having service technicians ensure your HVAC system is clean and working properly, there are other ways you can improve the air quality in your home:
- Install cooking vents to eliminate harmful contaminants from gas stoves.
- Keep your carpets and rugs clean to avoid having dust and other particles circulating within your home.
- Control the humidity in your home to avoid mold and mildew during warmer months.
- Freshen the air in your home with indoor plants such as ferns and lilies.
- Open your windows, even in the wintertime, to allow fresh air into your home.
The negative effects of poor indoor air quality are not worth the potential health risks, serious or otherwise.
A company like https://www.emitless.ca/ is dedicated to keeping your family happy, comfortable, and, most of all, safe! HVAC inspections are important and it’s best to go with a company that has reliable services, competitive prices, and maintenance agreements that will give you peace of mind that the air in your home is safe.
