Tulsa Air Quality Concerns?

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Indoor Air Quality Concerns | Tulsa, OK

Because most of the breaths we take each day are inside our own home, unhealthy air in the house can be a real concern. As homes have become more tightly sealed to conserve energy and improve temperature control, airborne irritants and toxins accumulate in this enclosed environment. In fact, the environment inside a home can be more than five times more polluted than outdoor air.

Indoor air pollution may trigger immediate effects, as well as impose long-term health issues. Here are some common contaminants that can contribute to unhealthy air in homes today:

• Airborne dust and lint that cause allergic reactions

• Toxic insecticides and pesticides

• Pet dander

• Carpets, upholstery, and other materials that release formaldehyde fumes

• Volatile organic compounds from paints, glues, solvents, and building materials

• Naturally occurring radon gas

• Biological sources including mold, viruses, bacteria, pollen, and dust mites

• Combustion byproducts from gas-fired appliances, furnaces, and water heaters

Fortunately, you have options to reduce household pollutants and maintain a more healthy home environment. Here's a sampling to clear the unhealthy air:

• Replace the HVAC air filter regularly. The entire air volume inside a home passes through the system air filter multiple times per day.

• Utilize vacuum cleaners with HEPA filtration, capable of removing more than 99% of dust and other particulates, down to a size of 0.3 microns.

• Control indoor humidity. A humid environment breeds biological pollutants such as mold, bacteria, and fungus. Maintain indoor relative humidity between 30% and 50%.

• Schedule annual professional preventive maintenance on gas-fired furnaces and appliances with a qualified HVAC contractor.

• Vent the basement properly to remove accumulating radon gas if it's present in your locale.

• Install exhaust fans in the kitchen and in bathrooms to remove fumes and water vapor.

• Store chemicals including glues, paints, solvents, and pesticides outside the living areas of the home.

• Open windows when weather permits to flush the house with fresh outdoor air.

For more strategies to minimize the consequences of unhealthy air inside your home environment, talk to the air-quality professionals at Air Assurance.

IAQ Concerns for Valentine's Day

Some holidays raise more IAQ concerns (indoor air quality) especially Christmas and New Years. Even though it’s not as widely celebrated, Valentine’s Day is another celebration that can degrade IAQ as well.Between the gifts and the décor, this holiday could introduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your air that might be mildly irritating or cause serious reactions. VOCs are gases that come from anything made from a hydrocarbon.Found in household cleaning products, air fresheners, candles, makeup and hair sprays, a Valentine’s Day celebration could leave behind respiratory irritants and chemicals that could have a serious long-term impact.

Limiting IAQ Concerns

• Instead of lighting paraffin candles made from wax, choose those made from beeswax or soy. If you want scented candles, choose those scented with essential oils rather than manufactured perfumes. The labels should indicate if they’re natural.

• Skip the aerosol air fresheners or those that plug into the walls. They’re usually loaded with VOCs. Weather permitting, open a window to pull in fresh air or freshen the air naturally.

• Look around your home. Sometimes odors indicate pet or kitchen odors that deep cleaning will remove. Use natural products like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide to clean rather than the perfumed commercial cleaners.

Since Valentine’s Day is the holiday of love, show yours to your family and friends by giving up the use of artificial fragrances in your home as much as possible. Many people associate scented products with freshness and cleanliness, but in fact, public health experts have plenty of IAQ concerns regarding them. Some cause respiratory irritations while others are responsible for more serious organ damage and even cancer. Young and old people are most at risk for VOC exposure from artificial scents. You can find unscented products throughout grocery store aisles. You can also use your HVAC system to address IAQ concerns year-round by adding air cleaners and UV (ultraviolet) lights.

To learn more, contact Air Assurance, providing HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Factors Affecting Home Comfort

Differing factors account for your home comfort in the summer and the winter. Let's take a look at some of the things you should be paying attention to now as the long, hot summer proceeds so that you can maximize your comfort without your utility bills going through the roof.

Humidity

Humidity is one of the major factors affecting comfort in the summertime. When your home's relative humidity exceeds 50-55 percent, you will experience difficulty cooling off, as moist air inhibits the evaporation of perspiration on our skin and its subsequent "wind chill" effect. Humid conditions in the home's interior may occur for a number of reasons, such as these:

• Ceiling and plumbing leaks

• Air conditioner not dehumidifying properly (dirty air filters and condenser coils may contribute to this)

• Activities such as cooking, showering, clothes washing and drying

• Poor or no exhaust ventilation

You can lower humidity by fixing leaks, changing filters and having coils cleaned, limiting moisture-producing activities and installing exhaust ventilation.

Temperature Control

If your air conditioner isn't in good working order, it may not increase your comfort to keep turning the thermostat down, down, down. Many factors can be at play when an A/C doesn't cool, among them:

• A/C is wrong size.

• Air filter is dirty.

• Ductwork is poorly designed, or may be leaking air.

• A/C refrigerant is leaking.

While you can change the filter regularly, fixing the other situations may be more challenging -- particularly getting the right size A/C. Whenever it's time to replace your A/C, make sure it's neither too large nor too small.

Air Quality

You may not be that aware of your home's indoor air quality, but a summertime accumulation of airborne pollutants, such as pollen, pet dander, chemical particulates, dust mites, dust and mold can actually make you sick. Switch to a good quality, pleated air filter (rated MERV -- minimum efficiency reporting value -- 8-12) in your HVAC system and vacuum often with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter.

For more on home comfort, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow. We've provided quality products and service in the Tulsa area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

How to Combat Your Allergies with Your HVAC System

We're always thrilled to see spring arrive in Broken Arrow, but with it come the inevitable discomforts of spring allergies. Fortunately you've got a friend in combating them that you may not have even been aware of: your HVAC system. Learn how to effectively use your HVAC system to get your household's suffering from allergies and other respiratory ailments under control.

Control Allergens at the Source

No matter what you're allergic to -- be it pollen, pet dander, dust, mold or chemical pollutants in your home -- they should be controlled at the source. Your springtime allergic reactions are most likely caused by flowering plants and the pollen they produce. Reduce the pollen that gets into your home by doing the following

• Keep doors and windows closed.

• Brush off clothes and pets before entering the home.

• Sequester pollen-bearing plants in one room with the door closed, until they are finished producing pollen.

• Fit wire mesh or plastic filters on window screens to block pollen when windows are open.

Trapping Pollen

Pollen that is circulating in your home's air can be trapped in the HVAC system with a good quality, pleated air filter. Low cost fiberglass filters won't do much to improve your indoor air quality, so choose a filter rated from MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) 8-12.

You might also look into some type of electrostatic filter to install in your HVAC system. These filters attract airborne particulates with an electric charge. The particles stick to the filter, which must be cleaned periodically to be effective. They are somewhat expensive, but on the other hand, will last a long time so don't have to be changed and discarded the way other filters do.

Room air purifiers may also help. They use HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters to clean air before it is recirculated. These portable models are sold according to the size room you want to purify. More effective are whole-house air cleaners, installed in the HVAC system.

For more on using the HVAC system to combat allergies, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Painting Effects on Air Quality

Unless you choose a paint that’s low on VOCs (volatile organic compounds) for your next hobby or home improvement project, it could have long-lasting effects on air quality indoors. Many paints and finishes contain harmful compounds that evaporate as they dry. The paint may dry, but the compounds will hang in the air for a year and longer.VOCs are a class of chemicals used in paints that are known carcinogens, and kidney, liver and nervous system disrupters. At their least harmful, they irritate the respiratory system and are eye irritants. Besides paints and finishes, VOCs are found in many other common products, including anything perfumed, makeup and most cleaning supplies.

Reducing VOCs When Painting

Even if you use a paint that’s low in VOCs, make sure you have plenty of fresh air ventilation in your home when you paint. Fall and spring are the best times to complete home improvement projects, including painting. The windows and doors can be open and extreme temperatures won’t interfere with curing or drying of any materials you use.Turn on the kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans and open several windows to pull the air out of your home. You can also boost the ventilation by putting a fan in an open window when the exhaust fans are running.

What to Look For

When choosing paints and finishes, check the can’s label. It should state the volume of VOCs in it, or that it’s low in VOCs. Look for products with less than 250 grams per liter. Better yet, look for products that have no VOCs at all.The products with which you prep the walls may also have VOCs, like acrylic caulk, primer and adhesives. Flooring products also emit VOCs, including carpeting, laminates and vinyl flooring. Before making your selections, look for the low VOC designation.

Avoiding the bad effects on air quality paints is possible by choosing low VOC products and using adequate ventilation. For more information about improving your home’s air quality, contact Air Assurance, providing HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

What's Affecting Your Indoor Air Quality?

Human activities such as cooking, cleaning, or building can increase or decrease the contaminants and particulates in your indoor air. However, there are other factors beyond your control that will influence the air quality inside your home. Here are some of those factors:

Accumulation of dust:

Dust is present in every home and is nearly impossible to eliminate completely. Dust consists of small fragments of dirt, fibers, and even dead skin cells. You can clean often and take other steps to reduce the presence of dust, but it will almost always be present.

Humidity:

Indoor humidity is measured by the amount of moisture in the air. Too little humidity can cause skin and eye irritation and other physical discomforts. High humidity can also be uncomfortable while increasing the chances of moisture damage to objects in the home. High moisture also makes it more likely for mold to develop.

Contaminated outdoor air:

If the amount of contaminants in the outdoor air is high, some of these contaminants will make their way into your home. These contaminants can include dust or dirt from roadways, pollen from flowers, odors from outdoor sources, and fumes from vehicles. A home with a tight envelope will keep out many of these contaminants, but some are still going to get in.

Pets:

Indoor pets can have a substantial effect on indoor air. Cats and dogs produce dander, which can be an allergen. Small pieces of pet fur are common on furniture, rugs, clothing, and other surfaces. The odor of litter boxes or pet accidents can also reduce indoor air quality.

Chemicals and fumes:

Some objects in homes, such as carpets or furniture, can emit chemical odors long after they've been purchased. If you have any types of chemicals stored indoors, such as cleaning supplies or pesticides, they can potentially leak and produce irritating odors.

Air Assurance provides Tulsa residence with expert HVAC services that maximize indoor comfort and household air quality. Contact us today for more information on how to keep your indoor air clean and free of contaminants that can affect your comfort and respiratory health.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “geralt/Pixabay”

Varied Kinds of Insulation Have Different Purposes

Most of you are very aware of the need for insulation in your homes. It has been studied and documented many times. The Department of Energy states that adding insulation can reduce your heating and cooling bill 10 to 30 percent. Certain forms of insulation are not as efficient in all climates or locations within the home. The main areas to be insulated are the attic and the walls. If you have a basement, your home's foundation also needs insulation. What kinds of insulation work best and where? Read on.CelluloseMade mainly from recycled paper, it requires the least amount of energy to produce. Being a loose-fill form of insulation, it can be blown into wall cavities as well as the attic space. It is not for use in the foundation areas. Dampness causes it to get moldy, possibly causing air quality issues down the road. It also loses its R-value (ability to resist heat flow) over time.CottonMainly made from scrap cotton in denim manufacturing and comes as batts (rolls of insulation), cotton is also available as loose-fill. Again, a high moisture level creates a problem. Broken Arrow does have higher rainfall in the fall, but it is mainly occurs in the spring.FiberglassFiberglass requires extensive manufacturing, but gives the best insulation. Its effectiveness and its effect on air quality requires proper installation. Strict codes are now in place. The loose-fill form is more efficient than the batts, unless high-density batts are used. The latter is best for colder climates.Foam InsulationsThis type requires the most refining of raw materials, but it also has a high R-value.

• Polyiso: A rigid foam board with a foil layer for radiant effectiveness. Do not use for very damp applications.

• Polystyrene: Recylable. Extruded form is sold in sheets, with a paper lining on both sides. Expanded form is made of beads. Also used for coolers.

• Polyurethane: An expanding foam spray used to fill cavities. It creates an airtight barrier.

Mineral WoolIt requires extensive extraction, but is good for damp areas as it retains its R-value when wet. It comes as batts and loose-fill.To learn which kinds of insulation best fits your home's needs, contact Air Assurance and we will help you through the process. We know which best fits our climate and local housing construction.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “John Kasawa/Shutterstock”

Ways to Make Sure Your HVAC System Is Debris Free While Remodeling

Are you planning a remodeling project in the near future? Don't forget to protect your HVAC system. Construction can produce dust and debris which are drawn into the air ducts and can potentially damage system components. The fan in the HVAC unit can be knocked out of alignment because of a buildup of debris and other components can also be affected by pollutants. There are steps you can take to minimize reduced air quality and damage to system components.

Tips to Protect Your HVAC System

• Reduce use of the furnace and air conditioning – Limiting the operation of the HVAC system helps to prevent pollutants from being drawn into the ductwork. This will reduce the risk of a clogged air filter.

• Keep registers closed in work areas – The outside weather conditions may mandate running the furnace or A/C during construction. Closing and sealing the registers in the area under construction will significantly limit debris from entering the air duct system. The registers may be left open in non-work areas to maintain an acceptable comfort level.

• Clean the work area often – Try to do dust-producing tasks such as cuttingand sanding outside the home whenever possible. Clean the work area often to ensure that dust is not dragged throughout your home.

• Use plastic tarps to protect non-work areas – Isolate the construction area with plastic tarps and cover furniture near the project.

• Change the air filter often – Debris may enter the HVAC system even if precautions are taken. Any buildup can be minimized by changing the air filter often. A good quality filter will help to trap debris of all sizes that enter the system.

• Inspect the ductwork – You may want to consider a professional inspection of the ductwork and HVAC components after the renovation is complete. A qualified technician can use powerful vacuum equipment to clean the air ducts and inspect the entire system for any potential problems.

Please contact Air Assurance with any concerns about HVAC protection during a remodeling project. We have been serving  the Broken Arrow Tulsa area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “scyther5/Shutterstock”