The Importance of Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be more polluted than the air outside. Because we spend up to 90 percent of our time indoors, the quality of indoor air is crucial to the health of those occupying a building.

The people who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of indoor pollutants are the elderly, children and those with respiratory diseases. Adequate ventilation, regular cleaning, and properly maintaining your HVAC system helps remove airborne particulates in your Anchorage, KY home. Clean air is essential to good health.

Types of Pollutants

Common airborne particulates found in homes include dust, dust mites, mold, pollen and animal dander. Many harmful chemicals that contribute to poor air quality come from volatile organic compounds. VOCs are found in some household substances including paint, cosmetics such as nail polish, cleaning supplies, carpeting, plywood or other composite woods, fuel oil and craft materials.

Secondhand smoke also affects indoor air. Confining secondhand smoke to one room is difficult. Instead, it can circulate within a building. Secondhand smoke can trigger asthma attacks in those who suffer from asthma.

Another chemical you may come across is Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is odorless and colorless. It occurs naturally in the soils of some areas of the U.S. and infiltrates into buildings through cracks in foundations or poorly sealed conduits. Some counties in Kentucky have high levels of natural radon. The only way to know whether your home has radon is to test for it.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, poisonous gas produced from the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, wood stoves, and fuel oil. Carbon monoxide alarms positioned throughout your home can alert occupants if this poisonous gas reaches harmful levels.

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality

The EPA suggests several ways to improve the quality of your indoor air. One of the most important is to increase ventilation. During several seasons of the year, windows can be opened to bring fresh air inside. Use ceiling fans to help distribute air within rooms, and run kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to pull humid air and cooking fumes outside.

Newer homes may include mechanical ventilation components as part of an HVAC system. An HVAC contractor can also recommend products such as indoor air cleaners that work with a forced-air heating and air conditioning system to keep indoor air clean.

Indoor Air Cleaners

One of the primary ways to maintain clean air in a building is to clean or replace air conditioning or furnace filters regularly. Filters capture airborne particulates and keep them from entering a ducted system. Once saturated with pollutants such as dust, animal dander, and pollen, a filter is no longer able to capture particulates. Instead, they are circulated through the system. Dust and grime settle on HVAC coils, impede airflow and make the compressor work harder.

There are several types of air cleaners that work with an HVAC unit for cleaner indoor air:

• Ultraviolet lights
• Humidifiers
• High-quality filters such as HEPA or MERV
• Fresh air ventilators

Upgrading to a MERV or HEPA filter will capture more particulates and help keep the air fresher. High-quality air cleaners can remove up to 99 percent of airborne particulates as well as gasses and odors. Ventilators increase air exchange, which dissipates concentrations of harmful gasses such as radon and carbon monoxide.

One Choice Mechanical, LLC Heating, Cooling and Electrical

One Choice Mechanical, LLC in Louisville, Kentucky, provides a number of HVAC services including:

• New installations
• Geothermal heat pumps
• Indoor air quality products
• Preventive maintenance
• 24-hour emergency services

As a Trane Comfort Specialist, we aim for 100 percent customer satisfaction and technical excellence. We are authorized to install and maintain Trane equipment and honor Trane warranties. Also, we work on all makes and models of HVAC equipment. Our NATE-certified technicians will evaluate your indoor comfort needs and make recommendations that work with your budget. To find out more about our solutions for clean indoor air to keep you and your family healthy, call One Choice Mechanical, LLC today!