A tightly sealed home lets you stay comfortable in every season but can also trap harmful pollutants indoors. Here’s what you need to know about indoor air quality (IAQ) to ensure the air you breathe in your home or business won’t harm your health.
Particulate Matter (PM)
Used to describe tiny bits of pollutants that float in the air, the term particulate matter typically refers to outdoor contaminants such as car exhaust and smoke. Particulates that are less than 10 micrometers in size pose the greatest danger to your health. That’s because they can be inhaled deep into the lungs, aggravating medical conditions such as asthma, allergies and lung disease.
When it comes to keeping pollutants out of your home, energy recovery ventilators offer a cost-effective solution. They’re engineered to use heat energy captured from outgoing air to pre-filter incoming air. Here are a few additional actions you can take to reduce particulate matter in your indoor environment.
- Help keep particulate matter from gaining entry into your home by checking your HVAC filters frequently and replacing them whenever they look dirty.
- Weatherstrip doors and windows to reduce the amount of polluted air that enters your home or business.
- Use caulk or a can of spray-foam sealant to plug up gaps around fixtures like pipes that enter your home through exterior walls.
Common Indoor Pollutants
From dust mites and mold spores to animal dander, the average home harbors a host of airborne contaminants. While regular dusting and vacuuming help keep surfaces free of particulate matter, good housekeeping only goes so far when it comes to decreasing levels of airborne pollutants. At Lunsford Air Conditioning & Heating, our indoor air quality products and services are designed to work in tandem with your HVAC systems to make it easy to keep harmful contaminants out of the air you breathe.
- Installed near an AC system’s evaporator coils, ultraviolet lamps help keep biological pollutants such as bacteria and viruses from circulating through the ductwork.
- Positioned within HVAC ductwork, whole-home filters trap ultrafine particulates without impacting the system’s airflow.
- Regular duct cleaning services conducted by our IAQ specialists rids your home of pollutants that get trapped in your system’s ductwork.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Volatile organic compounds are substances that have a low evaporation point, which allows molecules to easily enter into the surrounding air. Products that contain VOCs range from paints and varnishes to aerosol sprays, air fresheners and pesticides. Furnishings such as pressed-wood cabinets and synthetic carpeting can also release VOCs. The most dangerous materials with VOCs contain a variety of chemicals that can harm your well-being. Health effects can range from eye, nose and throat irritation to headaches and nausea. The following guidelines can help reduce your exposure to harmful VOCs.
- Increase ventilation whenever using products that emit volatile organic compounds.
- Store opened containers of paint, varnishes and pesticides outdoors whenever possible.
- Reduce your exposure to harmful contaminants by using a sealant on exposed surfaces that emit VOCs.
Biological Contaminants
High humidity levels indoors can propagate the growth of biological contaminants ranging from mold spores to bacteria and viruses. By allowing irritants such as dust mites to stay airborne, a too-dry environment can also be harmful to your health. Installed by our knowledgeable professionals, a whole-home dehumidifier helps keep household humidity at the levels deemed best for human health.
From filters, ventilators, air cleaners and dehumidifiers to duct cleaning and HVAC maintenance, Lunsford Air Conditioning & Heating provides a complete suite of indoor air quality products and services in the Milton, Freeport, and Pensacola region. Contact us today for IAQ solutions you can trust to enhance the health of your indoor environment.
