Improve Indoor Air Quality By Controlling These Airborne Particles

Protecting and improving your home's indoor air quality is one of the most important aspects of home ownership. At any given time, there are a number of airborne particles floating around your Broken Arrow-area home, and now is a great time to get them under control.Every home has airborne pollutantsWhat types of pollutants can you expect in your house? They fall into one of two categories:

• Biological particles -- This category consists of pollutants that range from viruses, mold spores, and bacteria to dust mites, animal dander and insect droppings.

• Gaseous pollutants -- Many of these are man-made, in a sense. They include remnants of cigarette smoke, household cleaners, pesticides, and many other commonly used irritants.

Protecting your family's healthAll of the above pollutants can cause health issues, particularly for people who suffer from asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems. Ridding your home of these particles can be done by following these techniques:

• Source control -- Stopping pollutants at the source can be a powerful strategy. For example, getting rid of pressed wood elements (which can produce formaldehyde) and lowering the emission of combustion appliances are a great start.

• Better ventilation -- If your home is not properly ventilated, your indoor air quality will suffer. The air inside becomes trapped and the pollutants float from one area to another. Ventilation helps to get good air inside your home while circulating the bad air outdoors, and can be done through the use of exhaust fans, open windows, and mechanical ventilation, to name a few.

• Air cleaners -- When used in conjunction with the first two techniques, air cleaners can be effective in improving indoor air quality. The best strategy is to utilize a whole-house approach, which will help neutralize the pollutants in your air without the added cost of a separate air cleaner in every room.

If you would like further assistance with improving your indoor air quality, or for questions regarding home comfort, please don't hesitate to contact the experts at Air Assurance. We proudly serve the HVAC needs of Broken Arrow and its surrounding areas.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). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Improving Indoor Air Quality Can Combat Spring Allergies

Indoor air quality in Oklahoma residences is on average, 10 times worse than outdoor air, reflecting a national trend. Your home may be sealed up to make the most of energy savings, but this compounds poor air quality, especially in the spring, when allergy season starts up. Allergens can get into your home, but have a hard time getting back out again. One of the most important steps to take in combating spring allergies and improving health year-round, is raising your indoor air quality.Allergens are found on many household surfaces, but the kinds that cause severe reactions are typically airborne particles. Some of the most common symptoms experienced in Oklahoma are hay fever, asthma and respiratory problems caused by grass, tree pollen, mold spores and flowers. Other common irritants that reduce indoor air quality include:

• Dust (Dust is the No. 1 way germs and microorganisms enter your body, and for every 1,500 square feet of space the average home has 40 lbs of dust!)

• Pet dander

• Off-gassing from building materials and carpets

• Fumes from cleaners and air fresheners

• Radon (the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US after cigarettes)

It’s important to keep air circulating in your home, as well as keeping it filtered. During the spring, an open window will only compound your allergy troubles! Devices such as energy recovery ventilators keep fresh air coming and in push stale air out and can filter the air as they do so. There are also high efficiency filters, such as HEPA filters, that can dramatically improve indoor air quality by removing up to 99.9 percent of airborne particles, including many allergens. Keeping humidity levels balanced by adding or removing moisture from the air can also improve your air. Particles remain airborne longer in dry air and humid environments foster mold.If you would like more information on how to improve your indoor air quality, reducing the effects of spring allergies and improving overall health year round, call Air Assurance. We'll be happy to discuss your options and find a solution that's right for your home and health!Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.