Inside air pollution is one of the top five environmental health risks, making indoor air quality a major concern for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pollutants found in homes include smoke, radon, mold, pollen, germs, asbestos fibers, allergens, fumes from combustion, paint, glue and cleaners. Fortunately, there are several methods suggested by the EPA to help improve air quality in your home.  

Improving indoor air quality

Basically, strategies to improve indoor air quality fall into three categories:

• Controlling the source of the pollution.
• Improving your home’s ventilation.
• Cleaning the air.

Finding the source

Finding and eliminating the source of a problem, rather than forever dealing with its effects, is often the most effective way to improve indoor air quality. For example, if a home has a gas stove or furnace, measures can be taken to reduce the emissions from it. Asbestos in older homes can be sealed so the fibers do not get into the air.

Ventilation

Homes built recently are well sealed to increase energy efficiency, which saves money but adds to indoor air pollution problems. Proper ventilation can fix this issue. Strategies:

• Open the doors and windows when weather permits to bring in fresh air from outdoors.
• Use fans in the attic or windows to ventilate the house.
• Open the outside air vent on a window-mounted air conditioner unit.
• Install spot control ventilation fans in the kitchen and bathrooms.

When your activity will produce contaminants, such as painting, consider doing this activity outdoors or near open windows.

Air cleaning

Numerous cleaners are on the market, including single-room air cleaners and whole-house systems. To be effective, the air cleaner needs to have a high rate of air circulation and a collector that traps the pollutants effectively.  One drawback to air cleaners, however, is that they do not clean gaseous contaminants from the air, such as radon.

To learn more about improving indoor air quality, contact Arco Comfort Air today.

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

Arco services the Northeastern and Greater Cleveland area of Ohio.  Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!

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