Fight Sickness & Stay Healthy with These Indoor Air Quality Tips

Another email. Yes, another email about the diseases going around your kids’ school. Croup. Strep. Influenza. RSV - Respiratory syncytial virus. Just seeing the words is enough to send mamas and daddies into a panic. The CDC announced that RSV leads to an average of 57,527 hospitalizations among little ones younger than five each year in the US. So what do you do to help make sure your family is safe?

Understand Indoor Air Pollution

The CDC warns that poor indoor air quality can advance lung diseases such as asthma and also cause headaches, nasal mucus, and lethargy. Likewise, the American College of Allergists report that 50% of all sicknesses are either caused or aggravated by polluted indoor air. The Texas DSHS said that air within homes and buildings can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and in dire cases, 1000 times more polluted. There are two primary causes of poor indoor air quality:

• Pollutant sources (cleaning products, inadequately maintained or unclean heating and cooling or humidification devises, smoke, etc)

• Poor ventilation

So all this data – so what? What do you do? How can you make sure you and your kiddos aren’t breathing adulterated, sickness-inducing air?

Luckily, there are options.

Get Proactive On Air Filtration

Have you ever been enraged and had to bite your tongue to keep from saying something awful ? That’s a filter. Have you ever used water from the door of a refrigerator and had your thirst immediately satisfied? That’s the filter. Filters keep toxicity in check and avoid miserable outcomes. You filter your words for amity, you filter your water for health, why not filter your air?

Numerous hospitals use a high-efficiency air filtration system called HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air), which you can buy for your home if you have a loved one with a low immune system or someone who’s very susceptible to illness. Even if there aren’t any respiratory issues in your home, you’ll be instantly surprised by the almost instant change from a basic air filter to a High Efficiency one.

If you’re not interested in such a high-grade air filtration system, there are many other options to help clean your home’s air. From basic air cleaners to electronic air cleaners, read below to help decide which air filtration and purification system is right for your home.

 

Help Control Germs With Germicidal Systems

Germi-huh? Germicidal UV Light Systems help remove airborne biological contaminants – germs – by safely emitting high intensity UV light from within your home’s air flow system. These bacteria-destroying appliances can kill germs and even help stop further germs from accruing in your home. According to one study, almost 20% of people with allergies suffer from exposure to fungi and bacteria in their duct systems. A UV light device will help cleanse and decontaminate indoor air to help you reach the highest air quality possible.

Optimize Moisture with Humidifiers or Dehumidifiers

Um, don’t those two machines do literally the opposite of each other? Why would I install one instead of the other? For home comfort, suggested humidity levels are between 35% and 50%. Too much humidity can cause microbes, condensation and even wood damage. Insufficient humidity can cause dry skin, sinus sickness, fractured wood and sore throats. Depending on what climate you live in, chances are you have too much or too little humidity.

Humidifiers add the ideal amount of moisture to your home’s air, helping with disease, dry skin, and deformed wood furniture and instruments. Dehumidifiers remove moisture from your home, helping to stop bacteria growth, and improving indoor comfort a great deal.

Don’t Dismiss Duct Cleaning

It’s nearly spring and that means spring cleaning! Don’t exclude your ducts during this time of renewal. Since most of our in-home air arrives through our duct system, it’s important to keep it from getting dirty with bacteria, microbes, and dust. When you have your ducts cleaned, ask the service tech to check for duct leaks, too. Leaks in the duct system can cause additional contaminants to enter your air and flow throughout your home. Making sure they are clean and maintained will help keep your air clean and your children safe.

Increase Ventilation

With the shift to become more energy-efficient, homes are often sealed tighter and insulated better to make sure air isn’t escaping while our heating and air systems work to keep our home enjoyable. Energy-efficiency is a great thing, but it also means a reduced amount of airflow, less circulation, and reduced movement. This can cause the air to become stagnant and contaminants (indoor air pollution) are lingering inside your home’s air – the air you breathe. An air ventilation system detects indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity and continually brings the required air replacement. This can add 5% to 10% more fresh air every 60 minutes, lowering the concentration of airborne contaminants.

Get A Home Health Report

During your next A/C system tune-up, request a complete indoor air quality report from your air conditioning contractor. An expert A/C system company like Service Experts will provide a copy of your report with professional recommendations to address these and other air issues in your home.

So, yes, it’s frightening to know that your little ones are being exposed to scary respiratory diseases but next time you get that message from your little ones’ school, wash their hands, cover their cough, and invest in a system to help your indoor air quality be the best it can be.