According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), low indoor air quality is currently one of the major health threats in the country. Because modern buildings have heavy heat sealing on them to conserve energy, very little fresh air can circulate indoors and clear out the stale air. The air that continues to circulate through a building’s HVAC system begins to collect dust, dirt, pollen, dander, dust mites, and other contaminants that have no way to escape except to return to the air that people inside the building breathe.
Your home can suffer from this problem, but you have options available to increase your indoor air quality. To find out some of the methods that will protect the your family’s health, contact our Dover, DE indoor air quality professionals at Atlantic Refrigeration.
The problems of a reduction in indoor air quality
- Health issues: This is the primary concern of contamination in a home’s air. The EPA links low indoor air quality to a number of health problems, such as bronchitis and increases in asthma and allergy-related symptoms. Insomnia, skin- and eye-irritation, coughing, wheezing, congestion, lethargy, and headaches are also connected to drops in indoor air quality. People who already suffer from asthma and allergies are particularly susceptible to poor air in a home.
- HVAC system inefficiency and malfunctions: The dust and dirt that collects inside the ventilation system of a home (the main reservoir of pollution) will create resistance against airflow from the heater and air conditioner. This will lead to an increase in utility bills as the system struggles to reach its expected level of heating or cooling. The contamination in the ductwork can also cause damage to the interior components and clog the air filter, leading to poor performance and unnecessary repairs.
- Dusty and dirty home: The average amount of dust that a six room house circulates through its HVAC system each year is 40 lbs.! It won’t stay in the ventilation system either: that dust and dirt will settle all over a home, making it difficult to keep furnishings and floors clean. A house that seems to never stay dust-free for long, no matter how often you dust, is warning you that the air quality is poor and something needs to be done.
What you can do to raise your air quality
There are many ways to combat poor indoor air quality, and professionals like those at Atlantic Refrigeration can help you. Air filtration systems and electronic air purifiers can prevent particles from entering the air and the ventilation system. Energy recover ventilators and heat recovery ventilators allow fresh outdoor air into your home without losing energy and jeopardizing comfort. Duct testing and sealing can prevent excess contamination from entering the ductwork and subsequently into your home.
If you want to breather easier call our Dover, DE indoor air quality specialists today and get started with cleaning the air in your home.