We all know that the outdoor air is constantly being polluted thanks to factories, cars, smoke, manufacturers, humans, etc., but did you know that your indoor air is typically much more polluted than the air outside? This is crazy to think about considering the fact that we spend the majority of our days inside – now more than ever due to the coronavirus. We know what pollutes the outside air, but what about the air inside of your home? Why is it so bad inside? How can we improve our indoor air quality to improve our health and well-being? Keep reading below to find out how you can improve the indoor air quality in your Shelby, North Carolina home.
Common Indoor Air Contaminants
Like we mentioned above, indoor air can be anywhere from two to five times more contaminated that outdoor air. When these pollutants and contaminants get trapped in our homes, our air becomes stale, stuffy, damp, and unpleasant to breathe. What’s even worse, they can affect the safety of your air.
Moisture: If you have an abundance of moisture in your home or building, it can become a host of moisture-related health issues such as mold, mildew, and dust mites. When these things are present in your home, it can cause allergies and shortness of breath.
Dust: Do you actually know what makes up dust? It’s an accumulation of things like dirt, carpet fiber, and dead skin cells – pretty gross, right? Dust can build up when you neglect to change your air filters. This not only leads to health interruptions like allergies and dust mites, it also leads to poor ventilation.
Combustion Products: You might think that your home isn’t contaminated with combustion products but think again. Every home uses combustion products on the regular. These consist of common gas-powered appliances such as your dryer, furnace, water heater, etc. When these are not properly ventilated, they can allow combustion products like CO2 to build up and get trapped in your home.
How to Prevent These Problems
Purchase a Carbon Monoxide Detector
Your furnace, water heater, stove, etc. all need to be operating correctly and safely. This means you need to inspect them regularly to ensure full functionality. Because these appliances produce combustion (like CO2), it’s important invest in a carbon monoxide detector to have in your home in case your appliances begin producing too much combustion.
Improve Your Ventilation System
A simple and easy way to improve your homes ventilation system is to change out your air filters regularly. When your air filters are too dirty, they aren’t as effective as trapping harmful contaminants like dust, dirt, debris, pollen, etc. With that being said, dirty air filters can decrease your indoor air quality and your comfort due to the restricted airflow. Changing out your filters at least every three months is a good way to improve your ventilation system.
Schedule Regular HVAC Maintenance
Finally, scheduling regular routine heating and air conditioning maintenance is a great way to improve the quality of your indoor air. Trained professionals and technicians have IAQ solutions for you to being improving your overall health and well-being. If you are interested in learning more about indoor air quality and how you can improve yours, call Bill Shuford Heating & Air today!