When the air inside your home isn’t clean, your family could be at an increased risk of allergy symptoms, asthma attacks, and respiratory illnesses. In Dickinson, TX several factors can contribute to indoor air quality. Understanding these issues and how they can be fixed ensures that you and your family are breathing healthy indoor air each day. Since we spend a large majority of our time indoors, we need to know what to watch out for.
The Most Common Indoor Air Pollutants
The types of pollutants in the air will vary from one home to the next, but most homes in Dickinson and across the country deal with many of the same problems. This includes:
Dust
Dust particles come from both inside and outside the home. It’s very easy for dust to make its way through small cracks and caps around your windows and doors before settling on surfaces inside. It can also easily come in when you open these doors and windows. The remaining dust in your home comes from inside sources. Dust particles usually range in size from 1 to 400 micrometers. The size of the particles you’re dealing with will determine what kind of filtration or equipment is necessary to clean your indoor air.
Please note that with dust come dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic creatures that feed off dust particles. We can’t see them, but many people are allergic or sensitive to them and their droppings. The best way to prevent and remove dust mites is by improving your indoor air quality and cleaning your home on a routine basis.
Pet Dander
We love our furry friends, but they can create quite a mess in our home that leads to decreased indoor air quality. Pet dander consists of very small pieces of skin that come off your pets when they’re moving around, scratching themselves, etc. We humans also lose microscopic skin particles over a day, which contributes to our indoor dust as well. However, many people are allergic to pet dander, especially if it starts to accumulate in large quantities on surfaces like your furniture or bedding.
Many people choose to keep their pets out of their bedrooms or off their beds to reduce the spread of dander throughout the home. However, the constant circulation of air through your HVAC system will cause this dander to become airborne regardless.
Mold Spores
High levels of humidity in the home lead to mold growth. This mold can occur just about anywhere, including in your ductwork, on your bathroom ceiling, underneath vanities where pipes are located, or around sinks or tubs. If humidity levels are not addressed and kept within the range of 30% to 50% relative humidity, these spores will thrive and multiply. Mold can cause an increase in allergy and asthma symptoms, but it can also cause other whole-body health issues like inflammation and fatigue.
In addition to proper particle filtration, you can manage the humidity in your home by investing in a whole-house dehumidifier. Installed onto your HVAC system by a professional, this unit will remove moisture from your air before it circulates throughout the rest of your home. This can dramatically cut back on your risk of mold in the home.
Pollen
Pollen comes from a variety of plants, trees, and grasses that are outside. In the Dickinson area, there are many different types of pollen in the air. For many people, seasonal pollen can produce symptoms such as itchy eyes, a stuffy nose, or coughing. For allergy sufferers, it’s common to close windows and doors when pollen levels are high outside. However, no home is sealed well enough that pollen can’t make its way inside. Also, we need some degree of air exchange to keep our indoor air quality acceptable.
Pollen can typically be removed using your HVAC air filter. Very small pollen particulates and other items neglected by your filter can be removed using a whole-home air purification device. It’s also a good idea to shower when coming in from the outside to prevent pollen from spreading throughout your home and into your bedding.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals that are off-gassed by things like cleaning products, building materials, new furniture, mattresses, air fresheners, and paint. VOCs can include formaldehyde, benzene, and ethanol, among others. When we breathe these VOCs in, this can lead to difficulty breathing, headaches, a sore throat, inflammation in the body, and even high blood pressure. It’s optimal that we minimize our exposure, but VOCs come from so many different sources that it’s hard to eliminate them all.
We can reduce VOC exposure in the home by using activated carbon filtration. This can be part of your furnace filter setup, or you can use it with an air purification device. Activated carbon works thanks to its large surface area, which can trap pollutants in its pore structure. The result is much healthier and fresher air.
Addressing Indoor Air Pollutants
Filtration
Larger particles of dust, dander, mold spores, and smoke can be effectively removed by the standard filter that’s in your furnace. These filters should be replaced once every 30 to 90 days for optimal performance. Not only will your furnace filter help keep your indoor air clean, but it will also protect your HVAC equipment from a buildup of particulates that could make it work harder than it should.
A variety of filters are available for your HVAC system. These products are typically rated using the MERV scale, which is the minimum efficiency reporting value of a filter. The higher the MERV rating, the smaller the particles that can be removed. A lot of homeowners assume they should just purchase the highest-rated MERV filter they can find. This can be damaging to your furnace if your equipment can’t keep up. Speak with a trusted HVAC professional to determine what kind of filter will work best with your furnace while helping you improve your indoor air quality.
Air Purification
Installing a whole-home air purifier on your HVAC system will help remove particulates in addition to pathogens, mold, and more. These units are relatively affordable and do a great job of improving indoor air quality. There are different features you can consider when selecting an air purifier, such as UV light and carbon filtration.
If you would like to learn more about the various ways that you can improve your indoor air quality by reducing your exposure to air pollutants, reach out to the team at Mackey Services. We would be happy to come by your home to perform an indoor air quality assessment and determine what can be done to improve your indoor air quality. We also offer other services, such as the installation of new heating and cooling equipment, routine maintenance, and emergency repairs. Give Mackey Services a call today to schedule an appointment in the Dickinson area.
