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
The EPA's research has shown that the air in your home could be more polluted than the air outside in large industrialized cities. If you, like most Americans, spend 90 percent of your time indoors, this type of poor indoor air quality could be hazardous to your health.What causes indoor air pollutants?Most indoor air pollutants are caused by sources that release gases or particles into the air. Possible sources of gaseous pollutants include carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, tobacco smoke and vehicle exhaust. Some sources of particle pollutants could include dust, pollen, smoke, molds, bacteria, biological contaminants and animal dander. These are just a fraction of the pollutants that could be causing poor indoor air quality in your home.How do I reduce indoor air pollutants in my home?There are three main strategies to reduce indoor air pollutants. These strategies include:
Source control: It's important to eliminate the individual sources of air pollution in your home. Some possible sources could include types of building materials, inadequate ductwork and various household appliances.
Ventilation: Making sure there is outdoor air coming into your home is essential, especially if your home is considered "tight" construction. This circulates the outdoor air with the indoor air. Some ways to improve ventilation are by opening windows and doors, using fans and air conditioners, and using exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens. Of course this can bring in contaminated air, so research your options of how this can work best or have a back up like a high quality air cleaner.
Air cleaners: There are many different types of air cleaners to choose from. Air cleaners range in size from portable, which help clean the air in a specific area, to in-duct or whole-house devices that can clean the air throughout the entire house. Your heating and cooling professional will help you choose which type of system would be the most beneficial for you.
Using air cleaners along with proper ventilation and source control can be very helpful in improving your indoor air quality. Asses these factors in your home and contact Air Assurance today to get started on improving your air quality, and your health.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today! Allergens image via Shutterstock
Indoor air quality can be affected by a number of factors such as airborne particles, chemical vapors and unwanted odors. And every family has different air quality needs depending on allergies, asthma or other sensitivities. Electronic air cleaners can address most of the problems you may be faced with, but different models offer different features. It is important to know what features an air cleaner has before you make a purchase to ensure that it meets your specific needs.Electronic air cleaners offer a number of different features, including:
Specific contaminanttargets - Not all air cleaners address the same type of indoor air pollutants. Some only target certain contaminants while others tackle multiple issues. Dirt, dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, chemicals, bacteria and viruses are all removed in different ways. Find out which of these is addressed by your air cleaner.
Efficiency - Energy efficiency is a factor to consider, but air cleaner efficiency typically refers to the percentage of contaminants that can be removed from the air. Higher percentages indicate higher efficiency.
Range - Portable electronic air cleaners only cover a small area, usually limited to one room in your home. Whole-house air cleaners work with your existing heating and cooling equipment to provide clean air in every room of the house.
Ozone - Some air cleaners produce ozone, a known lung irritant, as a byproduct. If this is a concern for you, make sure that you purchase equipment that does not produce ozone.
Bringing fresh air into your home is one way to improve indoor air quality, but this is not always possible when your air conditioning is running for most of the hot Tampa Bay summer. Installing an air cleaner is an excellent alternative that will keep your indoor air clean and fresh all year long.Narrowing your choices can be a daunting task, especially if you're not sure what you need. The professionals at ABS Air Conditioning will work with you to determine your air-cleaning needs and identify systems that will work best in your home. Call us today to learn more about what electronic air cleaners can do for you.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.
