Common Indoor Air Quality Myths
We at Nacogdoches Sheet Metal, Plumbing & Air Conditioning, LTD. in Nacogdoches, Texas, have heard a lot of myths regarding air quality over the years. We believe explaining what is true and what is not will help you to improve the quality of the air in your home.
Indoor Air Is Better Than Outdoor Air
This is not true because the air inside of your house may be more polluted than the air outside. We recommend looking around your home for dust mites, pet dander, cleaning supplies, air fresheners, detergents, and fragrances. All of this can pollute the air you are breathing. If your air circulation is poor, your residence will not receive enough fresh air. Improving your air circulation can eliminate contaminants.
You Do Not Need to Be Concerned About Radon
Radon is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas. This gas is one of the main contributors to lung cancer. Unfortunately, if your home is enclosed during the winter, radon can build up. Radon is such a high safety concern that radon level checks are required for public buildings.
Your HVAC System Automatically Provides Good Air Quality
The average person spends a lot of time inside their home. Your HVAC system is critical for providing you with cooling, heating, ventilation, and your desired temperature. Unfortunately, a whole-facility system will not automatically improve your air quality. This type of system will take care of particles, but it will not completely remove VOCs (volatile organic compounds) or gases due to the type of filter.
Your HVAC system brings outside air into your house. If your system is not maintained on a regular basis, outdoor pollutants can become trapped in your residence. Poor maintenance can also result in excess moisture, which promotes mold growth.
The Quality of Indoor Air Does Not Impact Health
If your indoor air is poor, it can negatively impact anyone in your home with asthma, resulting in breathing issues, itchy eyes, headaches, fatigue, and nausea. You can identify the majority of harmful pollutants due to the odor and resulting eye irritations. Correcting your air quality will improve your comfort level.
Ozone Gas Generators Are Completely Safe
Even though an ozone gas generator will remove contaminants, odors, and chemicals from your indoor air, ozone may have health risks. Ozone can trigger health issues such as irritations of the throat, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing.
Humidified Air Is Always Best
During the winter, the level of humidity decreases. This makes a dehumidifier unnecessary. When your humidity level is too low, the air in your house can escape outside. If your humidity level is more than 40%, then microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and mold, can thrive in your home. We recommend sealing your air vents to eliminate losing too much humidity from your residence.
Painting My Home Will Not Affect Indoor Air Quality
Painting inside of your house may impact your air quality due to VOCs from the paint fumes. These fumes are unhealthy and will negatively impact your air quality. Formaldehydes are often used for the treatment of not only paint but new carpeting and wood as well.
I Have to Spend a Lot of Money to Improve My Air Quality
This statement is completely false. The advancement in HVAC systems enables you to improve air quality in your home less expensively than in the past. This is an efficient way to remove contaminants and pollutants from your air. You can achieve optimal effectiveness through professional installation and a regular maintenance schedule. Having sensors installed will also improve your air quality through the detection of low levels of humidity.
Air Fresheners Improve the Quality of Indoor Air
Even though the smell of your air freshener is pleasing, it will not improve the quality of your air. The chemicals in your air freshener can lead to the buildup of potentially harmful substances. This will negatively affect the quality of your indoor air.
Improving Your Air Quality With Professional Service
We at Nacogdoches Sheet Metal, Plumbing & Air Conditioning, LTD. in Nacogdoches, Texas, want to help you to improve the quality of the air you are breathing. Call us today to have a professional technician determine the quality of your air and recommend the best way to initiate improvement. We also provide heating and cooling repair and maintenance plus air conditioning installation. We are here to help you address a variety of household needs. Give us a call today to set up an appointment.