What are you breathing?

One of the areas of recent concern for the average homeowner is the “quality” of the indoor air. There are multiple facets to this word when it is use to describe the air inside of a home. So it will vary depending on the individual home, its contents, and the life style of the homeowners. Let’s look at a few of the things that contribute to lessening the quality of your home.

Most homeowners think of dust control and elimination when they think of indoor air quality. Dust is visible on furniture and sometimes in the air. We think of the air being “dirty” when we see it. The standard filter in most systems does little to remove dust unless the particles are quite large. An upgrade to a high efficiency paper filter or an electronic filter can minimize this problem. Dust which is not airborne and channeled through the ductwork to the filter cannot be removed by any filter. Once it settles on furniture, unless disturbed, it is going to remain on the furniture until you clean it. Just as dust settles on your furniture, it can settle in the ductwork of your home along with other debris and create a health hazard. Having your ducts cleaned every 5-10 years can help eliminate that issue. Ducts can also be sanitized to reduce the chances of mold or bacterial build-up in the duct system.

There are other issues we must look at when we talk about indoor air and improving the quality of the air we daily breathe. We have chemicals in the air often designated as VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Many are harmless and present in our homes. Others can be cariogenic or aggravate other health issues such as asthma. Homes built fifty or more years ago had more infiltration of outside air causing more changes of the air inside of a home. This would dilute the concentration of the VOCs. With upgrades to the older homes and the tighter construction of newer homes, the infiltration is much less, thus there is less dilution of VOCs. We have also introduced a much greater variety of materials into the construction and the furnishing of our homes. Many of these materials have not been tested for the pollutants they may give off. Newly built homes have a requirement for outside air to be ducted into the system to assure enough fresh air is getting into the home to help dilute these VOCs. There are also charcoal filters and special UV lights which can reduce the VOCs in your indoor air. Homeowners can also reduce the VOCs within the home by selecting building materials and furnishings which give off fewer VOCs. For example, many of today’s paints will have fewer VOCs or are designed to give off zero VOCs.

In our next article, we will discuss how to reduce mold and bacteria in your home’s air. We will also cover special situations for those with airborne allergies. Check us out in the weeks to come.

Home Service Corporation

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Home Service Corporation