HVAC Pro Reveals Top Indoor Air Quality Mistakes Homeowners Commit
Expert聽Shares聽Indoor Air Quality Do’s and Don’ts
No matter聽the season, homeowners聽need to regularly聽tinker with聽their thermostat settings聽for year-round comfort.聽Because聽the weather is聽mild聽during spring or fall,聽people can聽open聽their聽windows and聽rely on聽their HVAC system less.聽At the same time, summer and winter聽can often聽cause聽issues聽for聽indoor air quality聽(IAQ)聽because the more extreme temperatures聽require聽keeping the home聽sealed up—to聽retain the air conditioning聽during聽summer and聽the heat聽in winter.
It's easier to achieve聽good indoor air quality if you聽don't make聽common mistakes聽homeowners can聽make.聽天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing聽Chief Operating Officer Cary Reed聽points out聽these聽missteps聽and聽how you can聽avoid them.
Not Changing Air Filters聽Consistently聽Enough
It’s聽crucial聽to聽use the best聽air filter for your聽specific聽air quality needs.
Replacing聽your air filters聽minimizes聽the聽most common聽airborne聽contaminants聽hiding聽in your home. For聽anyone聽with allergies,聽failure聽to change air filters聽Consistently聽could聽exacerbate聽sneezing, watery eyes or even聽require聽trips to the doctor.聽To make sure you are聽employing聽the聽most suitable聽filter for your聽specific聽system and聽air quality needs,聽familiarize yourself with聽the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value聽ratings system, commonly聽shortened to聽MERV, Reed聽recommended.
“It’s聽based on a聽1 to 20 scale,聽so聽ratings in the聽center聽of that range聽are usually the聽higher quality聽home filters,” Reed said. “And, if you聽struggle to stay on top of聽filter聽replacement, I’d聽consider scheduling聽duct cleaning聽service too.聽Afterward,聽set up a system that reminds you聽when it’s time聽to swap out your air filter”
Neglecting聽HVAC Maintenance
Neglecting聽routine聽HVAC maintenance is聽often the first step聽toward聽compromising聽your indoor air quality, Reed added.聽ensures聽it聽continues to deliver comfort聽effectively聽and helps to聽avoid聽major repairs聽at some point.聽Along with聽checking聽drain lines聽and聽the refrigerant supply, tune-ups聽also consist of聽cleaning coils and heating elements聽that聽air passes through before聽circulating throughout聽your home.聽When systems aren't聽running聽correctly, dust or moisture聽continues to build up and eventually will聽become the starting point for聽contaminants聽making it聽indoors.
Continuing to Use聽Products that聽Pollute聽the Air Unknowingly
To avoid VOCs and chemical pollutants, try聽and stick to聽green cleaners聽at聽home. Getty Images. Posed by Models.
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Many people are聽surprised to聽find out聽that聽some everyday聽products could be聽harming聽their聽health and air quality.聽There are three聽ways聽homeowners might聽be聽worsening聽their indoor air quality without聽realizing. The first is by聽always using聽aggressive聽cleaners that聽release聽fumes and聽what are known as聽volatile organic compounds (VOCs).聽If you can,聽choose聽an environmentally friendly聽cleaner instead, Reed聽suggested.
“Scented candles聽are聽also a聽common air聽pollutant,” Reed said. “Even if you want a fresh smell聽in the home, this is聽not the best option. I even聽advise against聽many air fresheners.”
Another way people聽pollute聽their home’s air quality聽inadvertently聽is with indoor plants that may聽trigger聽allergy symptoms. The Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) is a聽straightforward聽1 to 10 scale that is聽commonly employed聽to聽determine聽a plant’s potential for聽creating problems聽for allergy sufferers.
“There are聽some varieties聽that are considered聽great聽indoor plants聽such as聽ferns, ivy, fig and yuccas, but聽these plants can also聽cause more聽allergy symptoms. It’s聽a good idea聽to聽do your research聽before聽adding a bunch of聽indoor plants,” Reed said.
Neglecting聽Mold and聽Humidity聽Problems
Many homes聽see improvements from聽a humidifier or dehumidifier. Getty Images. Posed by Model.
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Excessive聽humidity in a home can聽encourage聽mold and bacteria growth, which in turn聽may聽deteriorate聽indoor air quality. If you聽notice聽a聽plumbing leak聽and water is聽accumulating in聽the walls or another area of your home,聽address聽it as聽soon聽as聽you can, Reed聽cautioned.聽Dampness聽is often聽where聽the growth of mold聽begins,聽especially if聽you聽reside聽in a聽more humid聽part of the country.
If you keep noticing聽a musty smell聽coming from somewhere, that’s a sign聽moisture may be聽trapped聽and unable to evaporate. Some homes also聽face聽issues with either too much or too little moisture in the air, which聽usually means聽balancing聽humidity levels with a聽humidifier or dehumidifier, Reed added.
Not聽Opening the聽Windows When聽Practical
While聽it may be聽challenging聽to聽keep the windows open聽right in the middle of聽a cold snap, there聽is still much of聽the year when聽cracking open a few聽windows聽for聽fresh air is聽a good idea. Not only聽is it beneficial for聽in-home air quality聽overall, but it聽can even聽lower聽radon levels.聽Radon is a radioactive gas聽naturally emitted聽from soil. In fact,聽purchasing聽a basic聽detector聽from a home improvement store聽is a聽prudent聽investment,聽considering聽high radon exposure is聽linked to聽roughly 21,000 lung cancer deaths聽annually,聽according to聽the CDC.
To聽get fresh air into your home聽when it’s cold outside,聽take advantage of聽midday temperature highs to聽open聽the windows in rooms and other spaces.聽In the聽summer,聽open them first thing in the morning聽when it’s cooler to refresh your聽home, Reed suggested.
Not聽Exploring聽Technology and 天美传媒 that Can聽Last
Whether聽your home has “problem air”聽thanks to聽excess聽humidity levels, mold,聽viruses聽and other airborne聽particles, there are聽still lots of solutions,聽explained聽the HVAC pro.
Homeowners struggling with microorganisms often use聽germicidal UV light lamps,聽which are installed inside an聽HVAC system to聽kill聽bacteria, viruses and other microbes聽within seconds.聽Others use dedicated聽ventilation systems聽that聽replace聽musty聽air for fresh air, or聽whole-home air purifiers聽that can聽assure you enjoy聽a constant flow of fresh, clean air聽in your home.
“Your local indoor air quality specialists聽can also聽run tests聽to help you聽fully understand聽the depth of the聽problem,” Reed said. “Similar to聽HVAC system maintenance,聽ignoring these problems聽only makes them聽worse聽in the future.聽The good news is聽there are many ways to聽solve聽air quality concerns.”
For details on聽how to聽reach peak聽indoor air quality, visit聽ServiceExperts.com/indoor-air-quality-services/聽or聽schedule your聽HVAC maintenance听迟辞诲补测.
