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The good news and bad news about indoor air quality affects everyone. The
Bad news is that indoor air often contains higher concentrations of
pollutants than air outdoors. However, the Good news is that
indoor air pollutants can be greatly reduced or eliminated.
What causes indoor air quality to become so
bad? Unlike homes and buildings of old, modern construction practices
create a more airtight building to conserve energy and increase comfort.
Unfortunately, by trapping the conditioned hot or cold air, we also trap in and
re-circulate pollutants that exist in in our homes. Off gassing of
building materials, chemicals, cleaning products, pesticides, pet danders, mold and radon are obvious sources of indoor pollutants. Less
obvious sources can be caused by cooking, bathing or simply heating or
air conditioning your home.
Who is affected by poor indoor air quality?
The answer is everyone. Unfortunately the
most susceptible to indoor pollutants are the ones that spend more time
indoors: children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with chronic
illnesses. On an average, people spend about 90% of their time indoor,
65% of that being at home. EPA studies have found that pollutant levels
inside can be two to five times higher than outdoors, and as much as 100
times higher after some activities such as vacuuming, cooking or burning
candles.
With today’s tighter construction practices
it is more important than ever to address indoor air quality to insure a
healthy living environment. The three major strategies for reducing
indoor air pollutants, in order of overall effectiveness are, source
control, ventilation and air cleaning.
Eliminating the source of indoor air
pollutants are the most important steps for creating good indoor air
quality, but they are often difficult or
impractical to control. Many building materials and items brought
into the house will often emit volatile gases. Family pets shed and
produce dander that may become an irritant or trigger allergies. So to
eliminate all sources are not very practical, but most sources can be
controlled or eliminated.
A dirty or improperly working heating and
air conditioning system can be a major pollutant source. Improperly maintained
heating systems can create deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. Improperly
maintained air conditioning systems can leave you with indoor coils that
are havens for mold and bacterial growth. The duct systems then deliver
this potentially contaminated air to all rooms in the house. Duct
systems can also be
a major problem as well. Leaky ductwork systems can create pressure
imbalances within the house that will lead to other pollutant sources
entering the house quicker. Leaky ducts in attics and crawlspaces can
pull insulation fibers, mold, rodent feces, radon and many other
pollutants into the home. It is important to have regular
scheduled maintenance performed on equipment to ensure that it
is not the contributing source of indoor air pollutants.
Humidity control is also a
major problem leading to indoor air pollutants and maintaining proper
humidity levels one of the most important steps to take. Humidity levels
above 50% will promote dust mite growth, which can lead to a host of
respiratory problems including asthma. Levels above 70% will promote
mold and mildew growth, which will also lead to another host of medical
problems and can also lead to rot and structural building problems.
Maintaining humidity levels below 50% can often be difficult in modern,
tightly constructed homes, but with proper dehumidification
techniques can be achieved.
Most people have a poor ability to judge
relative humidity on their own. This is why it is important to have a
hygrometer in the house to do this. Being able measure
humidity levels is the first step to controlling it.
Since source control of indoor pollutants is
not always possible, the next procedure would be ventilation. This is a
matter of diluting indoor pollutants with fresh air. A simple step to
this would be to open a door or window, but this to is not always
practical. The air outside might be to humid or pollen laden making
problems worse. Controlled ventilation is the key. Installing a high
quality, quiet exhaust fan or a heat recover
ventilator are the preferred methods towards ventilating a home.
The last approach, but most effective, if
eliminating pollutants or diluting them cannot be achieved would be
through air cleaning. There are many products on the market today that
claim to help indoor air quality. The two that most widely use and
recognized would be filtration and the use of
UV
lights in the duct system. Both take different approaches to air
cleaning, but if used correctly can be very effective.
The key to maintaining a
good indoor air quality in any environment is understanding, education
and action. Knowing what the potential problems are, eliminating the
ones you can and cleaning the indoor air will allow you to have a safe
and healthy indoor environment. Contact us today to find out how we can
help you breathe a little easier.
Humidity Control Mold
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Filtration
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