Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within a residence and how it pertains to the wellness and comfort of your loved ones. HVAC systems conserve indoor temperatures and maintain your home’s comfort through heating, cooling, ventilation, and the overall indoor air quality within your household. At Newark-Heath Heating & Cooling, we want to take a moment to emphasize the importance of IAQ and how it could impact your health, and the measures to take to enhance the air within your home.
What Makes Air Filtration and Ventilation Important for IAQ?
When discussing ventilation and air filtration, we should regard three air quality pollutants: particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOC), and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Particulate matter pollution is a global concern. Unfortunately, 91% of us live in areas where air quality levels exceed the limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO). As your HVAC system pulls outdoor air into your home, particulate matter can easily pollute the air inside. Thankfully, we can assist you in clearing this particulate matter through filtration! After all, the ventilation system’s air filters are your household’s soundest way of safeguarding yourselves against particulate matter!
Unlike particulate matter, volatile organic compounds are chemicals commonly emitted by indoor by-products. We can significantly lessen the concentration of VOC by substituting particular products with low-emitting alternatives, such as opening windows and employing fans; however, the ventilation system is the most efficient course to manage VOCs inside our homes. Fortunately, we can support you and your home by boosting the supply of renewed, outdoor air and depleting VOCs through return vents to dilute concentrations to safe levels!
Now, let’s take a look at Carbon dioxide (CO2). While we don’t necessarily recognize CO2 as an air pollutant, high indoor concentrations are still problematic for the health and well-being of those residing within the home. Like VOCs, we can use ventilation to eliminate high CO2 levels and restore the fresh air within your home. I know this may seem overwhelming, but we hope you find comfort in understanding that our specialists at Newark-Heath Heating & Cooling are here to help!
What Makes IAQ Important?
As we go about our daily lives, there are experiences that we don’t naturally feel the need to dwell on because they happen without much physical or mental exertion. Breathing is one of those things that the majority don’t have to work hard to succeed, thanks to our human anatomy. But unfortunately, this doesn’t suggest we can go around breathing in whatever without the chance of adverse effects. Because of this, we must take special care of our bodies and do what we can to sidestep breathing in things that can and will injure us! When we reflect upon pollution, most of us concentrate more on the external world, and while it is necessary, so is our home environment.
Are There Short-Term Effects of Pollutant Exposure?
Some signs that may appear momentarily after pollution exposure include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, exhaustion, and more. While these conditions are typically treatable, the choice treatment would be to stop exposure to the pollution in the first place. Additionally, if you or your loved ones have asthma, keep in mind that certain indoor air pollutants can aggravate and deepen the symptoms connected to this disease.
Are There Long-Term Effects of Pollutant Exposure?
Long-term effects tend to be more debilitating than the short-term, making the demand for quality air indoors that much more vital. These effects can be seriously damaging and even deadly; respiratory disease, heart disease, and cancer are among those. Therefore, we must improve our household’s indoor air quality at all costs, even if exposure to pollution isn’t instantly apparent. Unfortunately, there is still some uncertainty about what concentrations or duration of exposure are accountable for these particular health problems. For this reason, our professionals at Newark-Heath Heating & Cooling can help you act now to improve your and your family’s overall health!
In What Ways Do We Bring in Fresh Air?
While the solution to this question may seem apparent, there is more that we can do to improve our air quality than just opening our windows and doors. The motion of air affiliated with infiltration and natural ventilation exists because of the wind and the temperature indoor and outdoor differences. Natural ventilation and infiltration are exceptional, don’t understand me to be mistaken, but mechanical ventilation is a substantial improvement at our disposal! When there is slight infiltration, natural ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air exchange rate will decline, boosting pollutant levels.
Nevertheless, at Newark-Heath Heating & Cooling, we hope you retain something new about indoor air quality and, impactfully, find peace in knowing that we can and will help you breathe more comfortably. Please don’t forget we are only one call away from helping improve your home’s indoor air quality for you, your home, and your loved ones! We are excited to hear from you! Call us today at (740) 212-5849, or schedule an appointment now by clicking here!