These 5 useful tips will keep your home clean from odors, debris, dirt, pet hair and many other allergens.
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When poor air quality threatens you and your family's health, it's important to find out what are the things in your home are to blame, how to fix them and ensure that your house is well-ventilated and most of all, clean. Follow these tips from us and the American Lung Association to get started on purifying the air you breathe every day.
Tip #1 - Avoid smoking indoors
Some indoor air pollutants can kill. Among the most dangerous is secondhand smoke. Thousands of children are hospitalized or sickened with respiratory tract infections each year, and smoke puts older adults with cardiovascular or lung illness at higher risk for health problems. Cigarette smoke contains what are known as "gaseous pollutants," they are small enough to be inhaled, stick to your lungs and various parts of your home. Some of these harmful chemicals include carbon monoxide, ammonia, arsenic, benzene, and hydrogen cyanide. Out of the 250 chemicals commonly found in cigarettes, at least 70 of them are known to cause cancer. But these pollutants don’t just stick to your lungs – they linger in your home and make the air less healthy to breathe. Filters need to be changed at least once a month. Depending on how many cigarettes a day are smoked or how many smokers live in the home, you may need to change them even more often. Which is also ends up being a costly buck to your pockets.
*It’s important to note that just because the filters are filthy quicker, doesn’t mean that they are catching all the chemicals discharged by cigarettes. Some of these chemicals include arsenic (yes, as in, what you find in rat poison), ammonia, butane, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, lead, tar, and benzene (typically also found in rubber cement). In short, it is poison. An air filter can only do so much.
Tip #2 - Change filters every month
With all of the air that circulates through your HVAC system, whether it's to heat or cool your home, everything will eventually pass through the air filter. This is why it is highly important to keep air filters clean and change them regularly. Dirty, clogged air filters can:
Cause HVAC system malfunctions and equipment damage.
Reduce airflow inside the HVAC system, making the fans work harder and wearing them out more quickly.
NOT remove particulates and contaminants as effectively as they should, therefore releasing these back into your indoor air (or the air that you and your family breath).
Cause contaminates to build up in your duct work and causes the HVAC equipment to work harder, increasing your home’s energy usage and your monthly electric bill payments.
Air filters and furnace filters should be checked at least once a month. If they are dirty they should be changed with a fresh clean air filter. When removing the air filter from the air-handler, if you hold it up to a light source you will be able to see if the filter is dirty or clogged – if you can’t see the light through the filter, then it’s definitely time for it to be changed.
"We always recommend having a technician review filters because it's something easily forgotten in any busy homeowners daily life." – THE TWINS HAVC & HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Tip #3 - Potted plants
Houseplants are a great way to improve air quality. Why? According to NASA's study conducted to determine plants that are best to absorb toxins in the air, they came across a few that seemed to get the job done. Not only do they add great home décor they are a safe addition for your home.
Succulents (Aloe Vera, Corn plant, Janet Craig, Snake plant)
Peace Lily
Gerbera Daisy
Spider plant
Chinese Evergreen
Azalea
Tip #4 - Air purifier, Humidifier or combo
Air purifier
There are loads of benefits for an air purifier. The term “air purifier” is often used interchangeably with “air cleaner” or “air filter” an air purifier is not always a “HEPA filter” which is a higher standard filter. For one, it rids the home of pet dander lingering odors, germs, bacteria (from you or even your pets!) Additionally it may get rid of pollen, mold spores and dust mites that are known to cause allergies. Flu viruses and bacteria can also be removed by air purifiers, meaning you won’t have those cough and cold symptoms to deal with as often. This is a great options to improve your air quality.
Humidifier/Dehumidifiers
These offer great advantages for keeping your house free of pollutants. This is especially true in the wintertime when your house can be full of dry air. Stale and dry air means there’ll be more toxins and pollution in the air you breathe. Simply raising your indoor humidity to 45% can help improve the winter humidity in your home. It will help make the air you breathe much, much cleaner and even give you a better night's rest. Dehumidifier work doing the opposite, taking moisture out of your air this is especially import if your area is prone to flooding, humidity etc.
What options do I have?
Evaporative humidifiers are ideal if you have children and pets because it doesn’t generate heat, just a cool mist or water vapor without changing the temperature.
A cool-mist humidifier adds moisture as air passes through and filters the airborne pollutants and dust particles, It is sent out into the dry air to adjust the relative humidity of the same room without adjusting the temperature.
A warm mist humidifier is very similar, but it works by heating up the water inside, sending out hot steam and adding moisture to the home’s air.
*There are plenty of combo purifiers on the market review your home to see which would work best for you.
Tip #5 - Schedule Maintenance Regularly
By scheduling routine maintenance checks, an HVAC technician can foresee issues before they start to affect the mechanics of your AC system. They can also let you know if you should be changing your filters more often based on the amount of debris they find inside the unit. This is helpful for you as a homeowner because it could mean prolonging the years of your unit.
Want to know more?
Click below to get in touch with a service technician at THE TWINS HVAC & HOME IMPROVEMENTS to schedule a free in-home consultation.
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