Were you able to enjoy the warm temperatures that we had the last few days? Indianapolis residents got to enjoy a little taste of the impending Spring temperatures, and with that means the flurry of activity to shake off Winter’s cabin fever.
Unfortunately it also means allergy season will be here soon. It’s not just the outdoors that causes respiratory problems. But most people don’t know the air inside the home can be even more harmful than outside.
That’s why we thought that providing some information on how to improve poor indoor air quality may prove helpful to our customers.
Improving Poor Indoor Air Quality
Many homeowners have begun to recognize that airtight homes along with daily life that tends to keep us inside most of the time are two factors leading to greater concern about the quality of our indoor air.
Just as energy-efficient building practices led to these developments, industry insiders continue to seek better air quality by improving the systems that heat and cool our homes.
You may have heard the stat that 90 percent of people spend most of their time indoors. But you may not realize that 65 percent of that time is spent in our own homes. That’s a stat shared by ASHRAE and we have certainly had our fair share of indoor time this winter!
Industry Solutions Ahead
ASHRAE, or the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, has been an industry voice on the subject of indoor air quality.
“Acknowledging reports that air quality inside homes can be worse than outside, engineers have identified ways to move air in and out of homes to minimize the factors that lead to indoor air quality problems,” the association said. “The key is to design HVAC and other systems to work together to effectively ventilate homes and minimize sources of indoor pollution.”
As they work to create standards that improve home comfort systems now and in the future, there are also some steps you can take right now to make breathing easier.
What You Can Do
Removing the source of the pollutant and increasing ventilation are standard solutions for homeowners addressing indoor air quality. These activities include:
Improve Ventilation – Make sure your bathrooms, kitchens, laundry areas and fireplaces are appropriately vented to the outside. Minimize use of unvented sources of indoor air pollutants, such as cigarette smoke, candles and indoor grills.
Store Chemicals with Care – Household cleaning products that contain toxins, pesticides and paint solvents should be kept away from your living space. While they are not good for you and your family, they are harmful to your pets as well.
Filter and Clean Air – Keep clean filters in your HVAC system, changing them regularly. Also, consider upgrading to a system with a built-in air cleaner. Action Air now offers the ability to buy filters from our website and they ship directly to your home for FREE! Click here for more information.
Open Windows – When weather permits, open your windows to increase air exchange, especially when working with hobby solvents or household cleaning products.
Let us know if we can help. Schedule an appointment or learn more about Action Air here.
