Homeowners have plenty of responsibilities when it comes to regular maintenance. You need to check your faucets and pipes for leaks on a monthly basis, ensure your water heater is working properly, keep your yard mowed and hedges trimmed, put your appliances through their paces to make sure they’re working to full efficiency, and plenty more. One thing you probably take for granted is your indoor air. Breathing is an involuntary action, after all, so unless someone brings it up, you probably don’t think about it much. It’s a shame because poor indoor air quality could be affecting you, your family, and even your guests without you even realizing it.
Think for a minute about how easy it is to track pollen and other allergens into your home. This alone can be a nightmare for anyone in the house who suffers from allergies or asthma. Now, consider how much worse it could be if you’re a pet owner who has fur and pet dander in the air. Of course, mold spores caused by excess moisture are another type of contaminant you might be contending with. The fact is that there’s a growing body of evidence to suggest that indoor air is actually more polluted than outdoor air, even in the most industrialized cities. In order to ensure your home is a healthy place for all inhabitants, you’ll need to address the pollutants in your air. Here are a few ways to do that.
Keep your HVAC system working properly.
Your HVAC system is one of, if not the most important, components of keeping your home comfortable. If your air conditioner stops working during the summer, or if your heating system fails during a brutal winter, you have a true disaster on your hands. Unfortunately, a lot of homeowners don’t give much thought to these systems until they start to exhibit problems. Sure, you can always call a company like this option for air conditioning repair in Cocoa, FL, but calling out a technician to fix your air conditioning can be costly. It’s better to find minor problems before they turn into major ones.
Also, if you’re using a traditional air conditioning setup with ducts, it may be a contributing factor to your home’s poor air quality, especially if it isn’t maintained. If you neglect to replace your air filters, they can clog your system and force your compressor to work harder than it should. Not only does this put extra strain on the system, but it can also distribute dust and other particles throughout your entire home. Keep your system maintained, or consider switching to a ductless system to avoid these problems.
Remove excess moisture from your home.
Moisture buildup in your home can cause a variety of problems, such as mold and mildew growth, water damage, and high humidity levels. High humidity is a natural problem during the summer, and it affects more than your air quality. If it gets bad enough, it could even lead to wet bulbs, causing them to fail faster than usual. If you think your airborne moisture level could be a problem, you’ll need to learn how to measure home humidity.
The easiest way to do this is by using a hygrometer, which acts as an indoor thermometer and a humidity monitor. If it detects levels of humidity above your comfort zone, you’ll have a few options to get rid of it. Using fans and maintaining proper ventilation is the easiest way, but you could also invest in a dehumidifier. These devices will eliminate moisture in the air, and they can even help reduce unpleasant odors caused by mildew or mold.
Keeping your air healthy isn’t just good for you. It also shows all of your family members and guests that you’re serious about providing a comfortable space.