How Your Indoor Air Quality Impacts Your Health
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), poor indoor air quality is among the top environmental health concerns for Americans. The average American spends more than 90% of their time indoors where the concentration of pollution is often higher than outdoors. Let’s explore how these pollutants in your home can affect your health and what you can do about them.
Allergies
Poor indoor air quality can turn minor allergies into a big problem. One way it does so is by causing respiratory system inflammation, which makes allergic reactions more common and symptoms more severe. We have several recommendations that can help you reduce allergens, such as dust, pollen and pet dander, in the home. For starters, schedule HVAC maintenance twice a year: early in spring and early in fall. Upgrade your HVAC filter to a high-quality pleated filter. Opt for the highest minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating your system allows. The higher the MERV, the better the filtration.
While HVAC filtration helps, it’s no substitute for air purification. Our experts recommend an in-duct air purifier. Many air purifiers have a pleated filter rated at MERV 16. Those filters will trap 95% or more of all particles down to 0.3 microns. There are also air purifiers that use ions or hydrogen peroxide molecules, for example, to bind to particles and neutralize them.
Poor Sleep and Fatigue
Indoor air pollution greatly impacts how you sleep as well, as it irritates your nose, mouth and throat. Poor air quality causes you to toss and turn. While it may not wake you up, it does take you out of a deep sleep. That can cause fatigue that sticks with you throughout the day. Air filtration is a big help, and experts also recommend a sleep temperature between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. You should maintain an optimal relative humidity (RH) as well. The EPA advises between 30% and 50%. You may need a dehumidifier to achieve 50% or lower in summer. A humidifier might be necessary to achieve 30% or higher in winter.
Flu and Other Illnesses
Air quality issues may make you more prone to infections and other illnesses. The reason is that pollutants irritate your respiratory system and cause inflammation. You can also lower the number of pathogens in your home. There are a variety of approaches to this, and you can combine them. One is an ultraviolet (UV) lamp that we’d install in your ducts. It emits UV-C, a type of light that neutralizes bacteria and viruses. Another is an air scrubber that employs the ActivePure technology. It creates protective molecules that float throughout your home and bind to pathogens to disable them.
Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases
Modern medicine links long-term exposure to pollution to many lung and heart diseases. Fine and ultra-fine particles are a big concern here. Gases and chemicals are as well. Many air purifiers have activated carbon, which is particularly effective at absorbing chemicals and gases out of the air. We also recommend choosing an air purifier that has a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. It will provide even greater protection against fine and ultra-fine particulate matter.
CO Poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. It’s so deadly in the U.S. each year that experts recommend CO detectors even if you don’t use gas. They’re particularly important for homes that do use gas. If you have a fuel-burning furnace, for instance, schedule annual maintenance. It’s essential to ensure that there is no leakage from the gas lines and that the appliance is exhausting properly. It’s also important for a technician to clean the pilot light and burner to ensure that it burns fuel cleanly.
Would You Like to Improve Your Air Quality in Belleville?
BELOMAN has been serving Belleville and the entire Metro East area for more than six decades. We perform indoor air quality testing and can help you identify which challenges you’re facing. Our air quality team also cleans ducts and installs HVAC filters, air purification systems, UV lamps, humidifiers and dehumidifiers. We have NATE-certified HVAC technicians that specialize in furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, air conditioners and ductless mini-splits. Our company has a plumbing team too.
Count on us for plumbing inspections, installations and repairs, including drain cleaning. Those services extend to fixtures, water heaters, sump pumps, garbage disposals, gas lines and much more. Call today with any questions, and schedule service by phone or online through our website.
