All About Indoor Air Quality
National Wellness Month is all about celebrating self-care, reducing stress, and creating healthy habits and routines that promote physical, mental, and emotional health while taking care of our overall well-being. Since this approach is multi-faceted, knowing where to start can be hard, but let’s begin with the quality of air indoors.
Indoor air quality, otherwise known as IAQ, is concerned primarily with how safe and healthy it is to breathe the air indoors - in homes, buildings, and other enclosed spaces. This usually deals with the level of indoor air pollutants such as microorganisms, gasses, combustible products, dirt, dust, and other suspended particles in the air. While it may be impossible to bring the levels of air contaminants down to zero, keeping it as low as possible is crucial. Otherwise, the health and safety of residents may be negatively impacted. This post will share the health effects of poor indoor air quality and tips to improve indoor air quality.
Understanding the Health Effects of Poor Indoor Air Quality
Poor indoor air quality has many undesirable effects on the body and a person’s respiratory health. Some of these ill effects may manifest soon after exposure, while others take a while, sometimes taking anywhere from months to years before rearing its ugly head.
These symptoms may be as mild as eye, nose, or throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue, or they could be more severe. Those who have never had respiratory issues may find themselves experiencing allergic reactions, while chronic allergy and asthma sufferers may notice that their episodes are suddenly becoming much more frequent and intense. It’s time to take action and improve indoor air quality services to help eliminate and prevent these health symptoms.
Maintaining the HVAC System Improves IAQ
One of the best and most effective ways of removing air contaminants and maintaining high-quality indoor air is probably also one of the simplest since it should be done anyway: to keep a home’s HVAC system clean and in excellent working condition. Aside from heating and cooling spaces, homeowners must note that the HVAC system also recirculates indoor air in the process. It is essential to perform regular air filter replacement and schedule routine HVAC maintenance visits with a qualified professional to ensure that the air it takes in and redistributes is clean.
By replacing the HVAC’s air filter at least once every quarter, homeowners can ensure that the filters can still trap unwanted particles and keep them out of the air - something that won’t be possible if there is a dirty filter. Changing the air filter on time also makes the HVAC unit more energy efficient, helping homeowners save energy and money from lower energy bills. On the other hand, regular maintenance visits ensure that the HVAC system works correctly and does its air filtration job as it should, improving efficiency and extending the unit’s life.
Devices That Improve Indoor Air Quality
As an added layer of protection against indoor air contaminants, homeowners may also choose to purchase and install air-cleaning appliances at home that improve indoor air quality. Two of the most popular types of air cleaners and filtration systems are the air purifier and the UV sanitizer. While both devices effectively clean indoor air, how they achieve this is where their differences begin.
An air purifier cleans the air by passing it through a series of filters that trap big and small particles so that the air that comes out is cleaner. On the other hand, a UV air sanitizer does not have filters and instead uses UV-C light technology to kill microbial particles, such as germs and viruses, that may be too small to stick to a filter. These two different air cleaning methods give homeowners excellent options for improving air quality, especially concerning the health problems they face at home. People who find themselves worried more about germs and viruses can opt for UV air cleaning technology, while those pestered by allergens such as dust, dirt, pollen, or mold spores may want to choose a filter-based air purifier instead.
About Mr. Air AC & Electrical
Mr. Air AC & Electrical has over 30 years of experience serving Pompano Beach and the surrounding areas. They offer same-day services, financing, and the latest technology. Call them today for indoor air quality services in Pompano Beach, FL.
