How good is Your Indoor Air Quality?

Do you know how good your indoor air quality is?  The EPA says that indoor air quality within homes can be more polluted than the outdoor air.

Air Hawk Heating and Cooling President Joe Massa says “There are 3 categories of indoor pollutants, and all of them have the potential to cause some serious health problems.”

1.  Asthma and Allergy Triggers: common household triggers include dust mites, mold, pet dander, and pollen.  Your home can have pet hair on the floors and upholstery, dust mites on pillows and other soft textiles, and mold growing in places like your shower curtain or any damp areas of your home
2.  Combustion Pollutants: gases and particles that come from burning materials, including space heaters, woodstoves, gas stoves, water heaters, dryers, and fireplaces that are either improperly vented or not vented at all. The amounts of pollutants that are produced from these will vary depending on how well the appliance was installed, maintained, and vented, as well as what kind of fuel it uses. Common combustion pollutants include carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.
3.  Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOCs”): a variety of organic chemicals that are released as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOC’s are found in household products, including cleaning supplies, paints, varnishes, building materials, dry-cleaned clothing and pesticides (just to name a few).

There are steps that can be taken to help improve your indoor air quality.  It is important to keep your HVAC system clean and maintained on a regular basis.  This will keep those allergens from spreading throughout your home.

Schedule a routine, annual maintenance for your HVAC unit.  If you neglect to maintain your unit, your indoor air quality can contribute to a wide variety of illnesses ranging from allergies, bacterial infection and asthma-related symptoms. A certified technician can look at your system and identify any issues before they become a problem.

For more information or to find out how good your indoor air quality is, contact Air Hawk Heating and Cooling at 813-929-4295 OR 727-SAME-DAY or visit www.AirHawkAC.com to schedule your appointment online.