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It seems like more and more people are dealing with allergies. Unfortunately, staying indoors doesn’t always help. Here are a few tips for improving the quality of your indoor air.
- Keep the windows closed.
Most people think they need to open up all the windows in the house to enjoy a nice springtime day. The problem is, you’re inviting pollen and all the particulate from outside to visit your home. When my boys were struggling with allergies, we wouldn’t open the windows even if it was a nice day. Instead, it’s a great idea to turn your HVAC unit’s fan to ‘on’ so it’s continually circulating the air in the house.
- Pay attention to the filtration.
Make sure you have a good filtration system so that particulate will be effectively removed from the circulating air. There’s variance in both quality and efficiency. Cheaper slide-in filters have a MERV rating. More elaborate filtration systems have an efficiency rating on them. With a little bit of homework, you can see the huge difference between a very inexpensive home improvement store filter and a top-quality filter on the market.
Make sure that you change the filter as needed because some filters decrease in efficiency as they get dirty. Other filters actually increase in efficiency as they become clogged. They’ll do a better job of stopping more particles from circulating in the air. Unfortunately, the clog will also start to damage airflow and hurt the efficiency and longevity of your HVAC system. Your best bet is to change the filter based on the recommendation for that specific type.
- Don’t pollute the air.
There are many things homeowners do that could have a detrimental effect on air quality. If you introduce something into your home, it’s probably going to stay there for a while. That’s why the EPA says that indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air. Smoking indoors, burning candles or oil lamps, and even cleaning products can introduce particles into the air. Make sure you’re using products that are safe because they’re going to stay inside your home for a long time.
- Clean your ductwork.
Having your ductwork cleaned is something that we believe should be done every two to three years. (We spoke more in-depth about this subject in a previous blog post.) The number of people and pets in your home can make a difference. You stand to benefit when it comes to improving indoor air quality by making sure your ductwork has been cleaned. Whenever someone purchases an improved filtration system from us, we recommend the ductwork is cleaned before installation.
When you’re dealing with an air conditioning system, there’s often moisture in a dark environment. (Our experience with plumbing has made us aware that hidden leaks could also cause bacteria growth.) We can’t say that mold has developed with certainty unless we send a sample to the lab. However, homeowners definitely have to be careful about biological growth in the duct system. As a solution, we sell ultraviolet lights that will kill off that biological material.
If you want us to help improve your indoor air quality by installing an improved filtration system or cleaning your ductwork, give Boulden Brothers a call or contact us online.
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