Your IAQ makes a huge difference in your health. It also has an impact on your energy bills. IAQ, or indoor air quality, is rated based on pollutants inside your home. Radon, carbon monoxide and mold are just a few serious concerns in today’s homes – no matter the age of the home. Pollutants can be eliminated, improving your IAQ, if you know what to look for and what to do when you find it.
Have a trained HVAC technician as part of your home repair team. When you schedule your routine HVAC maintenance, ask for an indoor air quality assessment. Be aware of health problems that crop up in your family after moving into a new home or remodeling your home. The list of contributors to low IAQ can seem endless: dust particles, dirty filters, unclean air vents, combustion pollutants from improperly vented appliances, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from new carpets, varnishes and finishes. All are contributors to a low IAQ. They can cause or exacerbate health problems including asthma, headaches, chronic cough and heart disease.
Your professional HVAC technician will help you identify the sources of a low IAQ and take steps to overcome it. One of the easiest and most effective ways is to ventilate your home well. When the weather permits, open windows and doors to exchange cool, outdoor air for stale, stagnant indoor air. Change your HVAC filters regularly so they are not full of dust and pollutants that blow right into your indoor air. Adjust your humidity level to be between 30 and 50 percent, reducing the incidence of mold and other pollutants that like warm, damp air. Gauge your IAQ frequently – it’s for your own health.
