Most people spend the majority of their time indoors, which is why maintaining your home’s indoor air quality is incredibly important. Good indoor air quality is particularly critical during this time of crisis since many homeowners are sheltering in place. In today’s article, Air Products & Services, the top AC repair company in our local area, explains how improving your home’s indoor air quality can help safeguard the health of you and your family.
Today’s homes are designed to be as weathertight as possible because of the increased focus on energy efficiency. Ideally, conditioned air shouldn’t be able to escape a home because this can increase energy bills. Unfortunately, it also means that old, stale air has a tendency to keep circulating and recirculating inside the home. Germs, viruses, bacteria, pollutants and allergens that are already present in this old air can cause health problems and make existing respiratory problems worse.
A home that has poor indoor air quality will feel stuffy and uncomfortable. Luckily, there are ways to deal with this problem. First of all, you can boost your home’s indoor air quality by using good source control and improving your home’s ventilation through either natural or mechanical means. You can also install air purifiers and other indoor air quality products. Air Products & Services can use an indoor air quality and AC troubleshooting system to determine the best indoor air quality solution for your home.
All people will benefit from improved indoor air quality, but there are some groups of people that need the best possible indoor air quality in their homes for health reasons. These include pet owners with domestic animals, adults that are over 60 years old, infants and children up to 16 years old, pregnant women, immune-compromised individuals, people with chronic respiratory disorders and people recovering from surgical procedures.
The best way to maintain a home’s indoor air quality is to practice good source control at all times. As an air conditioning replacement expert, we highly recommend following manufacturer guidelines on storing chemicals and cleaning products. These products need to be stored in an isolated location. You should also make sure to use building materials that don’t emit volatile organic compounds. Lastly, you should deal directly with the source of any contamination.
HVAC systems don’t create mold or viruses. They recirculate the air inside your home, which can keep harmful contaminants inside your house, but they don’t act as a source for pollutants, nor do they create contaminants.
Mold growth is one of the major causes of poor indoor air quality. There are three things that are needed for mold to grow. First, there needs to be food for the mold. One example of a food source is skin cells that have flaked off and floated into the HVAC system. The next is moisture. The evaporator coil can produce condensation, which can lead to mold growth. The last thing needed is the absence of ultraviolet light. Fortunately, we’re not just an air conditioning installation company; we can also offer ultraviolet air scrubbers.
If your home has a high in-home humidity level, then there may be moisture and dampness in certain areas of your home.UV air scrubbers are one possible solution to this problem that use a special bulb to shine a unique type of light. This light is so strong that it can kill microscopic organisms. UV air scrubbers can be installed in practically any HVAC system, so they’re a great way to improve your home’s indoor air quality.
We also recommend using high-quality air filters and replacing them periodically to remove the dirt, dust and other debris that they capture. However, not all air filters are created equal. Some materials are better at capturing certain kinds of dust and other airborne particles. You need to learn how to choose the right air filter for your needs. As a residential AC expert we can recommend the best filters for your system.
We suggest keeping all areas of your home clean and dry whenever possible. Get rid of excess water and moisture and clean up any mold you may find. If you’re using products that can release pollutants into the air, then you need to ventilate. Inspect your fuel-burning appliances regularly for leaks and get them repaired as soon as possible if you find any.
Air Products & Services is the leading residential and commercial AC maintenance company in our local area. We also provide a wide range of HVAC services including air duct cleaning and sealing and other indoor air quality services. We’ve been in business since 1979, and our experienced technicians know how to provide the best comfort solutions to our customers. We serve many areas, including Tarzana, CA. Call us at (818) 989-2030 to learn more about our products and services or to request an estimate.