Indoor air quality is central to the health of your family. Did you realize that the air inside the average home is much more polluted than outdoor air? It is—about five times more. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has placed indoor air pollution as one of the top five environmental dangers. Mold, pollen, pet dander, radon and even formaldehyde are usually found inside homes.
You also need to think about humidity when it comes to indoor air quality. Air that is too humid or too dry can have unpleasant effects on your health and damage your home. Let’s take a look at three of the ways Dial One Mears Air Conditioning & Heating Inc can help you increase the indoor air quality in your Phoenix home.
A Clean System is the First Step to Good Indoor Air Quality
A dirty HVAC system can harbor and circulate allergens throughout your indoor space. Your first line of defense is to make sure your system is kept clean and well maintained. The easiest thing you can do is assess your air filter routinely and replace it when it becomes dirty. In most homes, the air filter needs to be changed every two or three months, but Dial One Mears Air Conditioning & Heating Inc recommends that you check them every month—especially if you have indoor air quality issues. Annual furnace, heat pump and/or air conditioner maintenance is beneficial, too. Your technician will confirm your system is clean and not circulating dust and debris throughout your Phoenix home.
Enlist the Help of an Air Purifier
An air purifier can help improve indoor air quality and provide some relief from seasonal and indoor allergies. For the greatest allergy control, look for an air purifier that filters out at least 95 percent of particles as small as .3 micron (a micron is one-thousandth of a millimeter). Regardless of whether allergies are an issue with any one in your home, filtering out pollutants is beneficial. The EPA has stated that the long-term effects of poor indoor air quality include potentially debilitating or deadly respiratory and heart diseases and cancer (https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/introduction-indoor-air-quality). A good air purifier, like the Lennox® PureAirTM, will remove 90 percent of germs and bacteria from your house—down to .01 micron.
Another way an air purifier can make your house more comfortable is by eliminating household odors. While not as serious as pollutants and germs, bad odors are normally unwelcome in people’s homes. Odors from things like pets, cooking, and sports gear can leave your house smelling unclean. Cleaning your air with an air purifier is a healthier way to eliminate these odors than trying to conceal it. Cleaning products, air sprays and scented candles might actually pollute your indoor air more. The right air purifier will destroy household odors, offering you clean, healthy air.
Control Humidity for Health
The EPA recommends maintaining your indoor relative humidity between 30 and 50 percent. When your air is too dry it can cause health problems like upper-respiratory issues, dry throat and nose, and itchy skin. Don’t forget that viruses generally thrive in dry air, and dry air is known to heighten symptoms for allergy and asthma sufferers. And, chances are good that your home’s air is too dry—the average heated home has a relative humidity between 13 and 16 percent throughout the cold season. That’s drier than the world’s driest deserts! So what can should you do?
A whole home humidifier can deliver up to 50 percent more humidity than portable humidifiers. Plus, you don’t have to repeatedly adjust most models—just program in your desired humidity and you’re ready to go. Proper humidity levels will not only help keep your household in good health, but they can help protect your home from damages caused by dry airlike shrinking and cracking wood. What’s even better is that humid air feels warmer, so with a whole home humidifier on board, you could set your thermostat a little lower to save on your utility bills without sacrificing comfort.
These are just some of the ways Dial One Mears Air Conditioning & Heating Inc can help you improve your indoor air quality. Call us at 602-832-7808 to find out even more options.