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Did you know that the quality of indoor air is worse than that of outdoor air? In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency, also known as the EPA, has stated that indoor air quality can be up to five times worse than outdoor air quality. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the air inside your home is safe for you and your family to breathe. You don’t want to get sick or have trouble breathing due to the pollutants in the air. In this guide, we will examine four of the main pollutants that you can find in your home and how to improve your indoor air quality.
Pollutants of a Biological Nature
Biological pollutants are irritants that you should be most familiar with. These are often visible and consist of allergens from living organisms. If you or someone in your family suffers from allergies or asthma, these pollutants may already be affecting the air in your living space. However, you can easily manage them by using your HVAC system to remove them from your home.
Dust and Pet Dander
These issues occur more frequently in homes with low humidity levels. With humidity levels below 30%, the air feels drier, causing your skin to become dry and allowing skin flakes or dust to be released into the air. The same is true for pet dander, which consists of flaky skin from your furry friends that gets caught up in the air you breathe. When the air is dry, these particles become very light, allowing them to float freely around your living space.
Pollen
Pollen enters your home through windows and the cooling system. It consists of small particles that are most prevalent during spring, as that is when many plants grow. You may already have pollen in your home if you have indoor plants. In fact, growing plants indoors can be problematic if someone in the family has allergies. While plants can help clean the air, flowering plants also produce pollen, which can be an irritant for some individuals.
Mildew and Mold
Mildew and mold are both fungal growths that occur when humidity levels are high. These spores thrive in damp, moist locations. Therefore, if you have a basement or attic that feels consistently wet, ensure there is no mold or mildew present in these spaces. When humidity exceeds 60%, you may observe spore growth that can hinder breathing and even make you ill. The spores attach themselves to moisture in the air, making it easy to inhale these irritants unknowingly.
Asbestos and Gas Pollutants
Asbestos can cause serious health issues for your family if its fibers are present in the air you breathe. It is often found in insulation, flooring, and other materials used in the construction of most homes. That said, the EPA banned the use of building materials that contain asbestos in 1989. However, in 1991, they overturned this decision, stating that only new uses of asbestos were under the ban. This means that old buildings constructed prior to 1989 may still contain asbestos.
Gas pollutants might not be considered problematic in your home, but at least two types can be found in homes in the Sacramento area. The first is carbon monoxide, which often results from the incomplete combustion of a stove or furnace. It is not easily noticeable, as it is an odorless gas. However, when present, it can lead to serious health concerns for anyone living in the space.
Radon is another odorless gas that poses a danger in your home. If you search the soil beneath your home, there is a chance that radon is present. This gas can penetrate your home by seeping up through cracks in the foundation.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Also known as VOCs, these chemicals evaporate into the air in your living space. These fumes are unsafe to breathe in continuously, and long-term exposure can cause several health issues. Paint, gasoline, aerosol sprays, pesticides, and more are all part of this group of pollutants. They are also more difficult to remove from the air because they are gaseous substances, which means that only a charcoal filter will be effective.
Stove and Heater Emmissions
This is essentially the smoke from an indoor stove or furnace. It enters the air you breathe, especially if you are not using proper ventilation while cooking. Burning fuels releases particulate matter, with the particles being smaller than 10 microns in size. This means that inhaling these particles is easy, and they can cause several health issues if not properly removed from the air.
Secondhand cigarette smoke also falls into this category. The smoke from someone else’s cigarette is harmful to breathe and can lead to asthma attacks in individuals who already have asthma. Particulate matter can trigger issues for anyone with breathing problems, so ensure you have proper ventilation in your home.
What To Do To Reduce Indoor Air Pollution
You can do several things to ensure that the indoor air quality is acceptable for your family. If you are noticing signs of illness in your home, consider getting an evaluation to make sure that there are no dangerous pollutants present. Mold, mildew, asbestos, and gas can be very difficult to detect in your home.
Depending on the conditions in your home, you may want to have a dehumidifier installed to reduce humidity levels. However, in Sacramento, humidity issues are not as significant as in other parts of the country. You can also have an air purification system installed with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that is capable of removing 99.97% of all airborne particles in your home that are larger than 0.3 microns. Additionally, ensure that your ducts are cleaned properly so that there is not a layer of dust circulating through your living space.
Weather stripping your home helps seal gaps around doors and windows, preventing outdoor pollutants, allergens, and moisture from affecting indoor air quality. By blocking drafts, it reduces dust, pollen, and mold infiltration while improving energy efficiency. Proper weather stripping also helps maintain consistent indoor temperatures, reducing strain on your HVAC system. Replacing worn-out seals and using high-quality materials ensure better protection against contaminants, leading to a healthier, more comfortable home environment. The most effective way to improve indoor air quality is with a high-powered air purifier such as a REME Halo system.
Contact a Reliable Air Purification Specialist
At Atticman Heating and Air Conditioning, Insulation, the air that your family breathes and their health are important to us. You can easily find these pollutants in homes around this area of California, and we want to ensure that there are no irritants in your home that could cause health issues for your family. We are a locally owned company with years of experience servicing the Sacramento area. We also provide additional heating and cooling services, so feel free to contact us for all of your HVAC needs.
At Atticman Heating and Air Conditioning, Insulation, we are one of the top HVAC companies in Sacramento. If you are looking for an inspection, maintenance, or upgrades of any type, give us a call today to schedule an appointment.
