Maintaining Good Indoor Air Quality for your Tampa Bay Home
Indoor Air Quality (or IAQ) is the measurement of how much pollution is in the air inside of your home. Having good IAQ is beneficial for your health and well-being. If your IAQ is bad, you’ll start to notice the effects over a period of time. Some of these effects include:
- Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue.
Most people spend more than 80% of their time indoors and if the HVAC system is poorly maintained, it can increase the risk of sickness and disease.
Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality
Poor heating and cooking practices result in elevated levels of air pollution in homes. The pollutants released from these faulty practices contain hazardous chemicals like carbon monoxide and fine particles. In poorly ventilated homes, the smoke and chemicals released can have health-damaging effects on the residents. Sources of indoor pollutants include the following:
- Fuel-burning combustion appliances.
- Tobacco products.
- Newly installed flooring, upholstery, or carpet.
- Deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation
- Household cleaning products.
If too little outdoor air enters your home, pollutants can accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Opening your windows and doors while painting or working on other hobbies that require heavy chemicals can help prevent pollutants from accumulating inside your home.
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Some of the best ways to improve your indoor air quality (IAQ) are to eliminate the individual sources of the problem (or to significantly reduce their emissions). There are some sources, including asbestos, that can be contained by sealing them. Source such as gas-powered appliances can often be adjusted to decrease the number of dangerous emissions. Source control is a more cost-efficient way (in most cases) of protecting IAQ as opposed to increasing ventilation – which can increase energy costs.
If you absolutely need to, you can increase the ventilation in your home. Be prepared, however, for your energy costs to increase. Opening windows and doors, operating window or attic fans, when the weather permits, or running a window air conditioner with the vent control open increases the outdoor ventilation rate. If you continue to notice poor indoor air quality, consulting a professional may be the most viable option.
When your air purifier, air conditioner, or heater needs repairs or you begin to notice poor indoor air quality in your home, our professional service technicians at Home Service Heroes have the tools, skills, and experience to make your repairs quickly and correctly. Our specialists always begin with air quality testing so they can provide an accurate and cost-effective plan specific to your needs. Best of all, we do not charge by the hour and we offer upfront pricing.
Protect the quality of air in your home and call Home Service Heroes to test your indoor air quality!