5 Steps to Improve Indoor Air Quality, and enjoy a Healthier Living Space

The air inside your home may be three to five times more polluted than outdoor air.

Our energy efficient windows and doors, with thicker insulation to seal out potential drafts, have helped us lower the cost of energy–but have trapped harmful fumes from building products, furniture, dander, and mildew and mold – inside our living spaces.

Here are five  things you can do to improve our home’s indoor air quality. By following these steps and coupling them with the right indoor air purifying unit, you’ll breathe a lot easier in your own home.

5 Steps to Improve Indoor Air Quality

1. Test your air
There are a number of in-home test kits you can use to assess everything from excess lead in your drinking water, to asbestos and radon gas.  These inexpensive kits can give you the peace of mind, and provide assurance that you and your family are safe.

2. Install a carbon monoxide detector
Carbon Monoxide is the silent killer. And you should get a carbon monixide detector, and put it near your bedrooms, so it can awake you if you are asleep.

3. Clean your air ducts cleaned and change your furnace air filters
Many people ask, ”Is cleaning my air ducts worth the money?” The answer is yes. Skin cells, dust mites, and pet dander accumulate and collect in your air ducts, and are a big contributor to allergies.  The average cost to clean ductwork in your home is about $300 to $500, but the results are well worth the expense. Also, you should upgrade to a pleated air furnace filter that captures small particles that can be circulated throughout your housea, and cause problems breathing.  

4. Purify your indoor air
HEPA filtration (High Efficiency Particulate Air) is one of the most common approaches to cleaning the air. This filtering system has been widely used and accepted by organizations promoting indoor air quality standards to clean the indoor air of smoke, dust, pollen, mold spores and pet dander.  You want to make sure that the unit is sized for the square footage of that room. In addition, the faster the fan runs, the more air is exchanged through the unit. While this does increase the noise, the units will work much better. HEPA room purifiers can range in price from $30 to $300.

5. Cleanliness is next to healthiness
If you suffer from allergies and asthma, keeping your home as clean as possible can dramatically improve the air you breathe. Dusting your curtains, and around your windows and doors have a big impact. Be sure to use a HEPA filter in your vacuum cleaner.

If you have any questions about these 5 easy steps you can take to Improve Indoor Air Quality please contact us today.

Tagged with: Air Furnace • Furnace Filter • hardware • Indoor Air Quality Standards

Filed under: Handy Hardware Tips

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