When people think of what it means to have a clean home, they typically think of vacuuming, washing dishes, or scrubbing bathrooms. Most people don’t realize that even after cleaning, the air in your home remains dirty. In fact, indoor air is often five times more polluted than outdoor air. The quality of the air we breathe is an extremely vital part of creating a healthy living space. When the air in your home is full of dust, mold, or chemicals, it can make you feel sick!
Types of Indoor Air Pollution
Indoor air pollution is divided into 3 categories: particulates, chemical, and biological contaminants such as mold, bacteria, and viruses. Chemical contaminants are called VOCs, they cause odors and can be potentially toxic. Basic air filters only capture ONE of these categories: particulates. To protect your home against the other two categories you need a whole-home air purifier with carbon and UV.
Importance of Whole-Home Air Purifier
Carbon traps odors and chemicals in its highly absorbent pores. The carbon used in these filters is activated; this means it is treated with oxygen to help open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. This results in a highly adsorbent material. Carbon filters are used to trap VOC’s and the odors that come along with them. A UV light destroys any mold, germs, bacteria, or viruses that pass through your air system. This results in healthier indoor air for your family. These two items working together also help to keep the coils in your HVAC system clean and free of contaminants, build-up, and mold. This in the long term will also increase the lifespan of your HVAC system, saving you money on repairs and replacements.
Look at Your Filters
The easiest way to start improving your indoor air quality is by taking a look at your filters. These filters trap dust, foreign objects, and dirt. They are the first line of defense against you and particulate matter in your air. When we fail to replace our filters, we allow these pollutants to get trapped. Eventually, they get put back into the air we breathe. Leaving dirty filters in for too long can create a drag on your HVAC system. This wears it out quickly, as it has to force air through a clogged filter. Filters are meant to keep pollutants out of your HVAC system and of the air it redistributes in your home. You should check your home’s air filters monthly and aim to replace them at least every 3 months.
Have Clean Air Ducts
A whole-home duct cleaning is a fundamental step towards indoor-air quality improvement. Air ducts play an important role in spreading the air from your heating and cooling units evenly across your home. If these air ducts are filled with contaminants, that means every single part of your home will be permeated with these pollutants. This makes it easy for family members and pets to get sick as a result. If your air ducts are improperly sealed it can create stuffy air due to lack of circulation and put an even bigger strain on your system. Having your air ducts cleaned and sealed by licensed professionals has several benefits. It will provide your living space with cleaner air, improve overall health and increase the efficiency and lifespan of your HVAC system.
Contact Us
Improving your indoor air quality is good for the health of your whole household, can improve the efficiency and lifespan of your HVAC system, and also cause damage to paint and walls with continuous exposure (dirt, dust, mold, can build between the drywall or under a house creating stains).
If you have any questions about your own home’s indoor air quality and would like professional advice on how to improve it, A/C Masters is more than happy to assist you with any of your air quality needs. Whether it’s a unit tune-up, air duct cleaning, filter replacement, or more, we have the knowledge to make your home the best it can possibly be. Call us at (757) 847-5252 or schedule an appointment with us online.