HVAC Expert Reveals Top Indoor Air Quality Errors Homeowners Struggle With
Expert Shares Indoor Air Quality Do’s and Don’ts
No matter the season, homeowners will modify their thermostat settings to stay comfortable. Because the weather is mild during spring or fall, many homeowners prefer to open their windows and use their HVAC system less. Meanwhile, summer and winter may cause trouble for indoor air quality (IAQ) since extreme temperatures require keeping the home sealed up—to retain the air conditioning through summer and the heat in winter.
You’ll find it’s easier to have good indoor air quality if you watch out for common mistakes that many homeowners commit. Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing Chief Operating Officer Cary Reed covered several of these errors and how to avoid them.
Not Changing Air Filters Consistently Enough
Swapping out your air filters helps cut down on the dust particles and airborne contaminants hiding in your home. For family members with allergies, failure to change air filters regularly could exacerbate sneezing, watery eyes or even require trips to the doctor. If you’re committed to employing the most suitable filter for your specific system and preferences, familiarize yourself with the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value ratings system, commonly known as MERV, Reed suggested.
“It’s based on a 1 to 20 scale, so ratings in the middle of that range tend to be better home filters,” Reed said. “And, if you struggle to stay on top of filter replacement, I’d suggest duct cleaning service too. After that, create a system to remind you when it’s time to change the filters.”
Ignoring HVAC Maintenance
Skipping routine HVAC maintenance is another common misstep toward compromising your indoor air quality, Reed added. An HVAC system annual checkup helps it continues to deliver comfort smoothly and helps to avoid major repairs down the line. In addition to checking electrical connections and refrigerant levels, tune-ups offer cleaning coils and heating elements wherever air passes through before moving through the rest of your home. If a system isn’t running properly, dust or moisture continues to build up and eventually will become the starting point for pollutants making it inside.
Continuing to Use Products that Lower the Quality of the Air Unknowingly
Many people are surprised to discover that some everyday products could be harming their health and air quality. Here are a few ways in particular that homeowners could be worsening their indoor air quality without noticing. The first is by using strong cleaners that release fumes and what are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). With so many alternatives available, choose a green cleaner instead, Reed recommended.
“Candles are another common air pollutant,” Reed said. “Despite having nice scents in the home, this is it isn’t the best idea for air quality. I even caution against many air fresheners.”
Another way people pollute their home’s air quality without knowing is with indoor plants that may trigger allergy symptoms. The Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) is a simple 1 to 10 scale that is often utilized to assess a plant’s potential for creating problems for allergy sufferers.
“There are many choices that are considered ideal indoor plants like ferns, ivy, fig and yuccas, but they also are known to trigger allergy symptoms. It’s a good idea to look into it before selecting indoor plants,” Reed said.
Ignoring Mold and Humidity Problems
High humidity in a home can promote mold and bacteria growth, which in turn can deteriorate indoor air quality. If you find a plumbing leak and water is accumulating in the walls or another area of your home, address it as quickly as possible, Reed said. Humid, musty air is often where the growth of mold begins, particularly when you reside in a warmer part of the country.
When you notice a musty smell in the air, that’s a sign moisture may be trapped and unable to evaporate. Some homes also struggle with issues with either too much or too little moisture in the air, which usually means adjusting humidity levels with a whole-house humidifier or dehumidifier system, Reed added.
Not Opening the Windows When Practical
While it may be challenging to keep the windows open during a cold snap, there is still much of the year when opening up the windows and letting in fresh air is a good idea. Not only does it benefit in-home air quality overall, but it will also lower radon levels. Radon is a radioactive gas emitted as a natural byproduct from soil. In fact, installing a simple radon detector from a home improvement store is a worthwhile investment, since high radon exposure is the cause of roughly 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually, as reported by the CDC.
To get fresh air into your home when it’s cold outside, use those midday temperature highs to open the windows in rooms and other spaces. During summer, open them first thing in the morning when it’s cooler to refresh your indoor air, Reed suggested.
Not Using Technology and Services that Can Have an Immediate Impact
Regardless of whether your home has “problem air” because of high humidity levels, mold, bacteria and other airborne contaminants, there are still lots of solutions, detailed the HVAC pro.
One option includes installing germicidal UV light lamps, which are installed inside an HVAC system to eliminate bacteria, viruses and other microbes within seconds. There are also ventilation systems that exchange stagnant indoor air for fresh air, or whole-home air purifiers that can ensure a constant flow of fresh, clean air indoors.
“An air quality professional can also perform IAQ testing to help you fully grasp the depth of the issue,” Reed said. “Just like with HVAC system maintenance, letting these issues persist only makes them more severe in the future. Fortunately, there are many ways to tackle air quality concerns.”
For details on how to enhance your home’s indoor air quality, visit ServiceExperts.com/indoor-air-quality or schedule your HVAC maintenance right away.
