Most homes have numerous contaminants that can degrade indoor air quality, including bacteria, viruses and dust mites, to name a few. Gases such as carbon monoxide and radon are also dangerous contaminants that can threaten the health of your home’s occupants. Even your home’s insulation, paneling and paint can degrade indoor air quality. Follow these three easy tips to help improve the quality of the air you breathe in your home:
- Eliminate as many sources as possible that are contributing to air pollution in your home. Do not smoke in your home. Try not to burn candles or incense as they can emit carbon monoxide and soot. Choose unscented or natural cleaning products. Instead of chemical pest control, use traps and baits, and seal off entry points where bugs can get in. Keep your floors vacuumed, swept and mopped to prevent dust and dander from accumulating. Purchase houseplants. Plants naturally remove chemicals from the air. Once the sources of air pollutants are under control, ventilation is key to maintaining the quality of your indoor air. Hire an HVAC technician to install a heat recovery ventilation system. This system exhausts stale indoor air and replenishes it with outdoor air. Invest in a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter for improved air quality.
- Test your home for an excess of harmful gases such as radon and carbon monoxide. Purchase carbon monoxide detectors for your home. Obtain an inexpensive radon testing kit to test for radon.
- Avoid fuel-related sources of contaminants such as fireplaces, wood stoves or kerosene space heaters.
- Have your home’s air tested with an air monitoring system. Climate Control Company has a device that monitors the home’s air for a week and then provides a report.
In Western Colorado, contact the Climate Control Company for more tips on improving air quality, how to read the levels of gases in your home, or any other of your HVAC needs. Taking a few preventive measures to improve your indoor air quality can improve the health of your family and allow you to relax with a breath of fresh air.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, please visit our website.
Climate Control Company services Aspen, Vail and the surrounding Western slope communities in Colorado.
