How to Improve Indoor Air Quality
The air quality in your home has a noticeable impact on daily life. Long-term exposure to indoor air pollutants like formaldehyde or mold can lead to recurring allergic reactions or breathing problems. If you already have respiratory and cardiovascular issues, those conditions could become worse if air quality is poor.
There are steps you can take to improve indoor air quality (IAQ), dramatically reducing the risk of adverse health outcomes and improving the comfort of your Raleigh-Durham-area home.
Three Effective Ways to Improve IAQ
Improving indoor air quality is relatively simple. By focusing on and mitigating the causes of indoor air pollution, homeowners can breathe better in no time at all!
You can reduce indoor air pollutants and improve indoor air quality by:
1. Keep the House Tidy
While natural causes of poor IAQ, like tree pollen, can’t be stopped, regular house cleaning mitigates the concentrations of pollutants. Dust, vacuum, sweep, and clean regularly. If you have allergies, you may need to tidy up daily when pollen levels are high. Consider keeping your windows shut during allergy season, especially in the afternoon when pollen levels peak.
Also, don’t allow smoking in your home, and use your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to control cooking smoke and curb humidity.
2. Optimize Humidity Levels
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends maintaining indoor humidity levelsbetween 30% and 50% year-round. Staying within this optimal humidity range will prevent or slow mold and mildew growth, control dust mites, and keep you comfortable at home.
3. Leverage Your HVAC System
A well-kept HVAC system is important for good indoor air quality. Using your heating or cooling system helps move air, control humidity, and filter out dust and other particles. So, try to use it often, rather than going a whole month with no AC or heat.
To keep your HVAC system working well, change your air filter every 1 to 3 months. If you have pets or people with health issues at home, inspect the filter once a month to see if it’s ready for replacement. Also, have a professional check your system every year to keep it in good shape.
Read more: Smart Home Technology, An Explainer
What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor air pollution comes from both man-made and natural sources. The main causes include:
Natural Pollutants: This group covers pollen, pet dander, dust, mold, mildew, and radon. Radon is a gas that comes from the soil and can enter homes through cracks. It is linked to about 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the US each year.
Chemical Pollutants: This includes formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide. These chemicals often come from furniture, paint, cleaning products, and things that burn fuel such as gas appliances and fireplaces.
These pollutants are common. At low levels, they are less likely to harm your health. However, higher concentrations can pose serious health risks.
Four Symptoms of Bad Indoor Air Quality
Health experts warn against the effects of indoor air pollution. The most common symptoms of poor IAQ include:
- Respiratory issues, including runny nose, sinus congestion, cough, difficulty breathing, and sneezing
- Eye, nose, and throat irritation, including watery or dry eyes and nosebleeds
- Difficulty concentrating or controlling anger
- Nausea
In most cases, these symptoms may present themselves when you’re at home and go away when you leave. But daily, long-term exposure may exacerbate symptoms until they become permanent or semi-permanent.
Do Indoor Plants Really Improve Air Quality?
Recent discussions and articles have suggested that certain houseplants can enhance indoor air quality. While it is true that plants can remove small amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air, recent studies indicate that you would need approximately 1,000 plants per square meter of floor space to effectively clean indoor air. For a typical 1,500-square-foot home, this translates to about 680 plants.
Trust Raleigh’s Indoor Air Quality Pros!
Put your family’s health and well-being first with smart, cost-effective indoor air quality improvements. The professionals at Yellow Dot Heating & Air Conditioning will make sure your IAQ upgrades are safe and effective so you can breathe easy. Call 919-925-4235 orcontact us online to schedule HVAC, electrical, or plumbing services in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and the surrounding areas.