How Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Home

Indoor air quality is vital to the health of your family. Did you know that the air inside the average home is much more polluted than outdoor air? It is—about five times more. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ranked indoor air pollution as one of the top five environmental hazards. Mold, pollen, pet dander, radon and even formaldehyde are commonly found inside homes.

Another concern as it relates to indoor air quality is humidity. Air that is too humid or too dry can have harsh effects on your health and damage your home. Let’s review three of the ways Abilene Air-Tech Inc can help you improve the indoor air quality in your Abilene home.

A Clean System is the First Step to Good Indoor Air Quality

A dirty HVAC system can harbor and circulate allergens throughout your house. Your first line of defense is to ensure you maintain your system and keep it clean. The easiest thing you can do is take a look at your air filter routinely and replace it when it becomes dirty. In many households, the air filter needs to be changed every two or three months, but Abilene Air-Tech Inc recommends that you check them every month—especially if you have indoor air quality problems. Annual furnace, heat pump and/or air conditioner maintenance is beneficial, too. Your technician will make sure your system is clean and not circulating dust and debris all over your Abilene home.

Enlist the Help of an Air Purifier

An air purifier can help improve indoor air quality and give some relief from seasonal and indoor allergies. For optimal allergy control, look for an option that filters out at least 95 percent of particles as small as .3 micron (a micron is one-thousandth of a millimeter). Regardless of whether allergies are an issue with any one in your home, filtering out pollutants is significant. The EPA has stated that the long-term effects of poor indoor air quality include potentially debilitating or deadly respiratory and heart diseases and cancer (https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/introduction-indoor-air-quality). A good air purifier, like the Lennox® PureAirTM, will remove 90 percent of germs and bacteria from your home—down to .01 micron.

Another way an air purifier can make your space more comfortable is by eliminating household odors. While not as severe as pollutants and germs, bad odors are normally unwelcome in people’s homes. Odors from things like pets, cooking, and sports gear can leave your house smelling unclean. Cleaning your air with an air purifier is a healthier way to eliminate these odors than trying to cover them up. Cleaning products, air sprays and scented candles might actually pollute your indoor air more. The right air purifier will destroy household odors, offering you clean, healthy air.

Control Humidity for Health

The EPA advises maintaining your indoor relative humidity between 30 and 50 percent. When your air is too dry it can cause health problems like upper-respiratory issues, dry throat and nose, and itchy skin. Remember that viruses generally thrive in dry air, and dry air is known to heighten symptoms for allergy and asthma sufferers. And, chances are good that your home’s air is too dry—the average heated home has a relative humidity between 13 and 16 percent in the winter months. That’s drier than the world’s driest deserts! So what can help?

A whole home humidifier can deliver up to 50 percent more humidity than portable humidifiers. Plus, you don’t have to constantly adjust most models—just program in your desired humidity and you’re ready to go. Proper humidity levels will not only help keep you and your family in good health, but they can help protect your home from damages caused by dry airlike shrinking and cracking wood. What’s even better is that humid air feels warmer, so with a whole home humidifier on board, you could fix your thermostat a little lower to save on energy bills without sacrificing comfort.

These are just a sampling of the ways Abilene Air-Tech Inc can help you enhance your indoor air quality. Contact us at (325) 692-5850 to find out even more options.