As the cost to heat your home increases, it only makes sense to take steps to ensure that you are keeping as much heated air as possible inside your home. You fix leaks and gaps around doors and windows to ensure as air-tight a house as possible. But what you might not be aware of is that your efforts also impact the air quality inside your home. The same air-tight place that holds heat also holds air pollutants, dust, mold, and pet dander. So it is crucial to understand how to reduce or eliminate these potential issues.
Out Of Sight Out Of Mind
Unfortunately, most College Station homeowners give little thought to the ductwork inside their homes. We don’t see the tubing and give no thought to what might be inside it. But when prompted, you can imagine the dust and dirt buildup from years of circulating air. Imagine the condition of your home if you had not dusted or vacuumed for a decade? Now apply that to your ductwork. If it has not been professionally cleaned, many homes have over 50 pounds of dust and dirt in their ductwork. A professional duct cleaning will remove the dust and dirt and reveal other issues like mold, mildew, or leaks in the ductwork.
Other Important Tasks To Increase Air Quality
Eliminating dust and dirt throughout our home is essential to increasing indoor air quality. Places that trap allergens that set off asthma and allergies include soft surfaces like:
- Carpets
- Furniture covered in fabric
- Curtains
- Blinds
- Bedding
- Blankets and throws
Regular vacuuming and cleaning all fabrics in the house will help eliminate dust and other allergy-causing remnants like pet dander and pollen.
It is also essential to control humidity in places like the bathroom and kitchen. Using an exhaust fan when showering or cooking will help limit the moisture in the air and reduce the potential for mildew growth. If you see a small amount of mildew in a damp area, clean it with a disinfectant wipe immediately to prevent the development of additional mildew or mold.
HVAC Tips
To keep your indoor air quality as high as possible, it is imperative to inspect your HVAC air filters regularly and replace them as needed. Keeping the air filters in good condition will provide the best filtration possible and reduce the workload on your HVAC equipment.
If a duct cleaning revealed mildew and mold growth in your HVAC ducts, consider an anti-microbial coating to prevent the future spread of these contaminants. The process is a fast and affordable way to ensure higher indoor air quality and fewer potential issues for anyone in your home with allergies o asthma.
Finally, for the most thorough air cleaning, call (281) 957-3335 to request more information about adding air purification equipment to your HVAC system. Upgraded air filtration and ultraviolet lighting can be used with your existing HVAC system to provide hospital-quality air filtration to your home for increased air quality and fewer breathing issues.
