More and more people are being treated for allergy and asthma symptoms, and experts suspect that poor indoor air quality is one of the reasons. Some studies show that the average person spends as much as 90% of their time inside and that could be contributing to health problems.
Homes today are being built tight to conserve energy. But, by sealing up the house there is very little fresh air coming in. Improving ventilation and installing air cleaners are practical ways that you can control the quality of your home’s indoor air.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been studying the problem of indoor air pollution and has issued a number of recommendations on how to keep your home safe. Running the vacuum regularly and dusting are practical ways to eliminate potential threats. Proper ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens is also recommended to vent excess moisture from showering and cooking. The EPA also advises not to permit smoking in your home and to store paints and pesticides outside of your living quarters.
Sometimes installing an exhaust fan is not sufficient to improve ventilation in the home. You may need an exchange unit which brings in clean air from the outside as it forces the stale air out. Some of these units can also retain hot or cool air and act as a dehumidifier to eliminate moisture. A T.F. O’Brien technician can determine what size unit would be appropriate for your home. This is also an excellent time to consider installing an electronic air cleaner which will do a much better job of removing contaminants from the air than the typical furnace filter.
If you are concerned about the indoor air quality in your home, take the EPA’s Care for Your Air Tour which goes room by room through the typical house identifying hidden dangers. Here’s a document the EPA put out on caring for your home air.
T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about preventive maintenance and other HVAC topics, please download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.