Whether you know it or not, your home’s indoor air quality should never be off your radar, regardless of the season. The professional staff at Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air has the knowledge and expertise to help you improve your indoor air quality.
First, Let’s Consider What Indoor Air Quality Is & What Affects It.
Indoor air quality is the term used to describe how pure the indoor environment is within a home or business. The overall quality of the air inside is affected by a variety of factors, such as, dust, pet dander, dirty HVAC systems, carbon monoxide, radon or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are inherent in many materials such as upholstery and carpets. VOCs can also be emitted from certain personal beauty products and home cleaning aids. Humidity, temperature and the amount of fresh air allowed into the space can also affect indoor air quality.
Why You Should Care About Indoor Air Quality.
Poor indoor air quality can affect our health, both for the short- and long-term. If the air inside has contaminants, you may experience headaches, fatigue, dizziness, stuffy nose or watering eyes. Over time, exposure may contribute to more serious lung or heart issues. Some research suggests that VOC exposure may even cause certain cancers.
Those with compromised health issues caused by asthma, severe allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or emphysema are at greater risk when exposed to ongoing poor indoor air quality.
What You Can Do
The first step to take in improving indoor air quality is to determine exactly what your home environment is like and how it’s affecting the occupants. Call Dixie and It’s Done.
- Eliminate contaminants in the air as much as possible. Clean regularly. If you smoke, only do so outside. Try to use LED candles rather than wax candles. Limit the use of home fragrance products and choose natural cleaners over toxic ones like bleach.
- Allow fresh air in – Yes! Even in the winter. We tend to keep windows down and doors closed when it’s cold out but allowing fresh air in even just a few times a week for several minutes at a time can help.
- Purifying the air is essential to improving indoor air quality. Dixie offers a variety of air purifiers and filtration systems. We also offer UV air purifiers and UV lights.
- Get a handle on your humidity. Ideally, the humidity in your home should be somewhere between 30% – 50%. Winter air tends to be drier, so your indoor air could need a boost with a whole-house humidifier.
The final and most important step to improving your home’s indoor air quality is to contact Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air for a whole-house inspection. One of our trained technicians can test the quality of your indoor air today and have you on the path to cleaner, healthier air now.
