Clean Air is an Important to Your Home’s Overall Environmental Health

Your home’s indoor air quality is of vital importance. Keeping tabs on air quality and making necessary adjustments will keep contaminants out of your home as we approach summer in the Long Island area.

Even in healthy people, poor indoor air quality can cause minor ailments such as headaches, fatigue and lung irritation. But for people with respiratory problems, pollutants can exacerbate conditions such as allergies and asthma.

Here are T. F. O’Brien’s top tips for improving indoor air quality:

Investigate your windows or doors for air leaks, which will allow outdoor pollutants to enter your home. Air leaks are easy to seal using caulk or weather stripping.
Seal ductwork leaks. Leaky ducts can unleash all sorts of contaminants into your living space, and can in fact be a health hazard, as leaks can draw hazardous carbon monoxide and other contaminants into the ductwork, which then delivers it to your home’s living spaces. Check for leaks around ducts, paying close attention to where the duct’s piping connects, and seal them with a mastic-type sealant and/or metal tape.
Change your system’s air filter regularly, and consider upgrading to high-quality disposable filters, which will perform better and keep more allergens out of your home’s air.
Look at your habits. Are you vacuuming regularly? Do you dust with a dampened cloth rather than a feather duster, which lifts much of the dust back in the air? Regular, efficient cleaning methods help rid the home of dust and other irritants.
Check humidity levels. Too much moisture can contribute to the growth of mold, which can be harmful to one’s health. Consider using a dehumidifier to regulate indoor humidity levels.
Use an air cleaner to dramatically reduce the amount of irritants in your home, whether particulates such as dust and dander or microbials such as bacteria and mold. A whole-house air cleaner works with your cooling and heating system to purify all of the air in your home.
Schedule annual HVAC maintenance to ensure good indoor air quality. An HVAC service professional can check for and solve air quality problems.

For more expert advice about indoor air quality and other home comfort issues, feel free to contact T.F. O’Brien Cooling & Heating. We’ve been serving the Long Island area since 1934.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Indoor air image via Shutterstock