How to Maintain Good Indoor Air Quality
At this point in the year, you probably haven’t had much of an opportunity to open your doors and windows due to the cold winter weather. For most households, this means several months of containment of things like pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, and other pollutants that can continually build up and circulate around the household. Although you’re probably not going to notice these things during your day-to-day routine, indoor air pollution can become a serious problem if you don’t have the proper HVAC system installed and you’re not sticking to a regular cleaning regiment.
What Types of Problems Can Poor Air Quality Cause?
Many studies have been done over the years regarding the various symptoms and medical conditions caused by poor air quality. However, it’s important to keep in mind that “poor air quality” is a broad term that could apply to any number of different pollutants (dander, dust, mold, etc.). Any one of these can be triggering to an individual.
OSHA has reported that poor indoor quality (IAQ, for short) had been linked to the following symptoms: headache, fatigue, trouble concentrating, rashes, and irritation related to the eyes, nose, throat, or lungs. Poor IAQ has also been tied to fatigue, sleepiness, and in some rare cases, digestive issues.
Additionally, conditions such as asthma or allergies can be exacerbated by poor indoor air quality. For instance, if a person is allergic to pet dander, an improperly ventilated home containing a pet can set them off. In the most drastic of cases, prolonged immersion to an environment with poor IAQ can lead to life-threatening medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, or even cancer.
Improving Air Quality
Now that you know the problems associated with poor air quality, let’s talk about solutions. There are numerous ways to improve the air quality in your home that are either free or cost very little.
Welcome the Outdoors: With the spring season coming up, warm weather will be coming back to the St. Louis area over the course of the next couple months. We’ll still be getting some cold days, but we highly recommend opening the doors and windows on warm days so you can get some outside air flowing through. The fresh air circulation is highly beneficial for sweeping out air pollutants that can cause irritation or allergic reactions.
Cleaning: Another way to maintain good indoor air quality is by doing a deep clean on your home. This entails vacuuming, disinfecting all surfaces, and cleaning those areas in which dirt, dust, and grime can accumulate such as ceiling fans, air vents, and the tops of picture frames.
Air Purifiers: Adding an air purifier to your home can help capture some of those harmful particles that may be floating around. Keep in mind, air purifiers can only do so much on their own, and mainly only purify the air in their direct vicinity. Don’t expect your air quality to improve throughout your entire household.
Change Your Filters: Your HVAC system is what’s controlling the majority of the airflow in your home, so it’s important the filters are getting changed on a regular basis. Otherwise, dirty, polluted air is going to be recycled throughout the home, which is going to lead to irritation and health problems. Ideally, you want to change the filter every three months to ensure the cleanest air quality possible.
Contact Meyer Heating & Air in St. Louis for Your HVAC and Air Quality Needs
The team at Meyer Heating & Air has decades of combined experience performing residential HVAC installation, maintenance, and air filter replacement. If you have a major heating system in need of repair in the St. Louis area, our team is ready to help and can typically schedule your appointment on a tight turnaround.
Our highly skilled technicians work with all types of HVAC systems – gas or electric – and can help with any issue that you may have relating to poor air quality. If you are experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms above, it’s possible that you might have a high number of pollutants that are causing it.
Simply give the team at Meyer Heating & Air a call and we can evaluate your HVAC system and change out your filter. We can be reached at (314) 279-0806. Or, you can email us at service@meyerair.com.
We are ready to help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
