Did you know, Las Vegas recently made a list of cities with the worst outdoor air pollution? While everyone understands that the outdoors in a big city can be clouded by pollution, many people overlook the fact that indoor air quality is also important. In particular, it’s crucial to watch out for common allergens such as dust and pet dander that can circulate in the air and cause adverse health symptoms if left unchecked.
Because poor indoor air quality can negatively impact your family’s health, homeowners need to take the necessary steps to make sure this pollution doesn’t translate to the indoors. Numerous types of air pollutants are commonly found in homes including dust, radon, indoor smoke, cleaning chemicals, persistent odors, and even mold. With this in mind, using an air purifier or a proper HVAC service to improve your home’s indoor air quality can be highly beneficial.
Need to improve the air quality in your Las Vegas home? CALL The Cooling Company today. AT (702) 567-0707..
The Leading Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality
Outside, nature has natural air filters and cleaning systems, but inside, it’s up to you to ensure your home’s air is pure and fresh. Many things can cause poor indoor air quality. Here are the two most common:
1. An Inefficient Air Conditioner Unit
Your air conditioner, a vital part of your HVAC system, takes warm air from your home and processes it so it can send back cool air. Part of the process involves pushing the air through at least one filter meant to trap airborne debris. Proper maintenance of these HVAC systems and periodic filter changes, as per the suggestions of your HVAC professional or the manufacturer of the unit, can help improve indoor air quality significantly.
2. Inadequate Household Cleaning
Cleaning isn’t only for looks. When you clean your house, you not only remove dirt, dust, and debris that can lead to poor indoor air quality, but also allergens and odors, which can be particularly harmful to those with sensitivities or allergies. A cleaning company can help maintain your home by using specific products to tackle these issues.
4 Ways to Know If Your Home’s Air Quality is Bad
There may be hidden dangers lurking in a home, some of which cannot be seen by the naked eye. This includes poor indoor air quality, an issue that could lead to serious damage or even health problems if proper maintenance service is not procured sooner rather than later.
For those of you that would like to know the quality of air within their own home, keep an eye out for frequent flare-ups of allergy symptoms that may indicate something is going on behind the scenes.
1. Chapped and Dry Skin
Living in a dry environment can result in dry skin throughout the year, but equipping your home with an efficient air purifier can help maintain a balance of moisture and minimize the circulation of allergens.
2. Allergies and Asthmas
If you or your family members are suffering recurrent headaches, coughs, and other respiratory issues, it’s time to scrutinize the air quality inside your home. Chronic symptoms could be a signal of unnoticed pet dander, dust, or other allergens in circulation.
3. The Dust Layer
If you’re noticing dust accumulation at unusually quick intervals despite regular cleaning, it could be an indication of poor air quality. It may be wise to call an HVAC service to inspect and clean your air conditioning units.
4. Humidity
After stepping into a home, it should never feel as if the air is muggy or humid especially in the Las Vegas desert. If the building is well ventilated and the interior still feels humid after a short period, it is time to call in a specialist to see what can be done about improving the air quality with well-chosen products or services.Having a home with poor air quality is something that no one should ever have to deal with.
If you find you’re experiencing any of these issues such as continuous fatigue or asthma, or there are contaminants like bacteria or pollen affecting your environment, experts assure that there are various ways to resolve them. One crucial way involves maintaining the proper functioning of your HVAC system which aids in heating and managing indoor air.
There are several things you can do that will really make a positive difference in your home’s air quality. Here are some to start with. Even the technicians who handle your HVAC system could provide some valuable insights.
5 Efficient Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality at Home
Floors collect dust and pollutants that are carried in by people’s shoes, get trapped from the air, and that accumulates when not regularly maintained. To overcome these problems, use a vacuum with a special HEPA filter. This is a filter that has been specially designed to maximize the removal of pollutants from the floor, including fatigue-inducing contaminants.
1- Keep Floors Clean
In addition to vacuuming, mop tile and hardwood floors for extra cleaning. Because mops have a wet head, they can collect the dust and pollutants that vacuums often gloss over. Finally, place floor mats at every entrance. People’s shoes often track in dust and pollutants from the outside air. Floor mats will grab these particles before they reach the indoors.
Read: Is Improving Indoor Air Quality a Greater Benefit than Energy Efficiency?
Plants are nature’s natural air purifiers. Scientists have discovered that living plants can absorb all kinds of toxic substances from the air, making the air safer for you and your family to breathe, providing an excellent way to filter contaminants.
2. Raise Plants that Are Known to Purify the Air
You can raise plants that filter the air. Some of these plants will remove more than just carbon dioxide, such as the garden mum that filters ammonia and benzene. These are harmful chemicals that can make people sick. Another example is called the spider plant. In addition to being easy to raise, it filters out formaldehyde and xylene.
While some residents might not even know that these chemicals are in the air, these plants can make a significant contribution to maintaining a healthy indoor environment. Experts often recommend such measures especially for those suffering from conditions like asthma.
Homeowners with central AC often forget to ventilate the air inside their homes. The air become can become stale because it’s never renewed. The HVAC system, aside from heating and cooling your home, also plays a critical role in ensuring air circulation.
3. Improve Ventilation
On days when the heat is tolerable, it’s good to open the windows and allow the air to ventilate through the house. If insects are a problem, consider getting fine mesh screens that are woven tightly enough to keep most insects from getting in. Once the air is circulated, you can close up tight again and enjoy the fresher air.
Some homeowners like to turn on the air conditioner when they want some fresh air; however, air conditioners only recirculate the air and don’t actually improve the ventilation. It’s essential to consult with HVAC technicians to understand the optimal use of the system.
There are a few ways to improve the ventilation in your home, including opening the windows, opening vents, and opening doors to the outside. For people looking to get a little more creative, they could open their chimney or even install an extractor fan in the home to truly filter the air.
Read: Benefits of Installing a Humidifier and Ventilation Systems
Some people like to maintain a humid environment, but many pollutants are dissolved in the water, and the humidity only enhances the pollutants in this humidity. To prevent this from happening, people should run their air conditioner to remove this moisture from the air. This will prevent pollutants from being trapped in the moisture.
4. Maintain Proper Humidity Levels
Just like any other machinery, an air conditioning system needs to be maintained regularly. This means checking and changing the filter to make sure the unit can perform its job. This will improve the air quality and extend the life and efficiency of the unit.
5. Maintain Your Air Conditioning System
This simple guide will help you to have the best indoor air quality possible. If you are having problems with your AC unit, use our online AC repair estimate tool to get an idea of what it will take to fix it.
To ensure the air conditioner is running at its highest level, schedule to have your air conditioning unit regularly maintained and inspected by a professional ac technician. These experienced technicians will ensure that your system isn’t producing any bacteria or other contaminants that could pollute your home environment.
At The Cooling Company, our goal is to ensure comfort within your home. Contact us at (702) 567-0707. for more information about our air filtration services. As experts in the field, we understand the importance of maintaining quality air in your home.
At The Cooling Company, our goal is to ensure comfort within your home. Contact us at (702) 567-0707. for more information about our air filtration services.