Is the Air in Your Home Healthy?
April 07, 2010
Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the problems with indoor air quality and are looking for solutions. According to the American Lung Association, we spend on average 70% of our time indoors and the quality of the air indoors can be up to FIVE TIMES worse than the air outside! Our current focus on energy efficiency and saving money has resulted in adding insulation in our homes, vapor barriers, caulk and weather stripping, all of which effectively retains the heated or cooled air but also reduces air infiltration from outside of our house. This results in air remaining inside longer along with the pollutants in the air.
Below are some of the problems that poor indoor air quality causes:
- Asthma
- Rhinitis
- Bacteria
- Sinusitis
- Allergic respiratory disease
- Dust and dirt buildup
- Excessive mold and mildew
- Increased utility bills (due to decreased air flow)
- Unpleasant fumes and odors
*50% of illnesses (such as colds and flu, allergies and asthma) are caused or aggravated by mold, mildew, bacteria and fungi, according to the American College for Allergists.
Here are some solutions to your indoor air quality problems:
Air Cleaners
Air cleaners can help improve your health by keeping your entire house cleaner, and also protects your furnishings and saves you time and the aggravation of continuous dusting and cleaning. A whole-house cleaner can help provide relief from irritants – up to 40 times more efficiently than standard furnace filters. Air cleaners also prevent the buildup of dust and dirt in your heating and cooling equipment, which can reduce the efficiency of your system by as much as 25%.
Air Purifiers
An air purifier whole-house filtration system is the most effective air cleaning system available. It thoroughly cleans and filters out 99.98% of allergens from the filtered air. It is up to 100 times more effective than a standard 1” filter. An air purifier will deliver cleaner air, and more of it!
Filters
You can switch from a standard 1” filter to a higher quality HEPA filter to increase the filtration of particles in the air in your home. Also just by changing or cleaning (depending upon the filter type) your filter monthly will help cut down on the amount of dust and pollutants in your air. Filters remove dust and other particles from the air such as pollen, bacteria, smoke, smog, pet dander, and plant and mold spores. Keeping a clean air filter in your system also helps increase the energy efficiency and prolongs the life of your heating and cooling system.
Duct Cleaning
A whole-house duct cleaning will dislodge dirt and debris in the airflow system of your home and then is followed by a thorough cleaning. This cleaning will kill germs and bacteria, remove dust in your home, help improve the efficiency of your system, and make your home smell clean and fresh. Doctors and allergists also recommend duct cleaning.
UV Germicidal Lamps
UltraViolet (UV) Germicidal Lamps works to destroy airborne contaminants. Mold and bacteria can easily grow on air conditioning coils as a result of normal condensation that takes place during the cooling process. A UV Germicidal Lamp is designed to kill that mold and bacteria by breaking down its DNA. The elimination of mold and bacteria will reduce your family's risk of allergic reactions and illnesses as well as get rid of foul odors. It also allows your home comfort system to run less often, for shorter periods of time at peak efficiency. As a result, this will save you money on your utility bills.