Improving the Quality of the Indoor Air You Breathe: Four Great Ideas for You

Most of us may think of air pollution as something outside our homes and offices – haze, smog, low level ozone etc. The fact is the air inside our houses and offices can be as polluted as the outside air. The invisible culprits are household dust (lead), fire-retardants, formaldehyde, radon, chemicals from fragrances in conventional cleaners and fresheners and even deodorants and synthetic perfumes.

Four great ideas for you to improve indoor air quality

1.Keeping the floors fresh

• Vacuum: Allergens and chemicals can start accumulating in household dust. By using a vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate arrestance filter, you can reduce lead concentrations in your house. You can also get rid of other toxins, such as, PBDEs (brominated fire-retardant chemicals) and allergens like pet dander, pollen, and dust mites. 
• Mop: Mopping helps to pick up dust left behind by vacuuming. Use plain water to catch any lingering allergens or dust. Advanced microfiber mops are known to capture more dirt and dust than the conventionalones.

2.Maintaining a healthy level of humidity

Mold and dust mites thrive in moisture. Keeping the humidity levels around 30%-50% can help you control the air pollutants. An air conditioner and a dehumidifier are extremely beneficial in reducing humidity indoors. Air conditioners also help reduce indoor pollen count -- another benefit for allergy sufferers.

Other tips for dehumidifying a house: 

• Open your windows or use an exhaust fan when cooking, bathing or running the dishwasher.
• Fix leaky plumbing.
• Do not overwater the houseplants.
• Empty the drip pans in your dehumidifier and window A/C.

3. No smoking inside your house

One of the reasons for indoor air pollution is cigarette smoke. It contains more than four thousand chemicals. As per research, secondhand smoke can increase a child's risk of developing respiratory and ear infections, cancer, and asthma. For a smoker, this addiction can cause breathing problems, cancer, stroke and heart attacks.

If you wish to stop smoking, nicotine-replacement therapy, support groups, and other medications can be very helpful. Find a way out that works best for you.

4. Checking your HVAC system for leaks:

One of the biggest causes for indoor air pollution is a leaking HVAC system. There can be times when a unit starts to emit carbon monoxide and other deadly gases inside the house. Being odorless, carbon monoxide is hard to detect and can only be evident through the detrimental health effects it begins to have on the members of the family. To avoid this situation, it is best to get your HVAC system checked and cleaned every season. You must also install carbon monoxide detectors within the house to be on the safer side.

It would be good for you to hire an expert HVAC cleaner to make sure your system is working efficiently and is at its best potential.

These little measures can go a long way in helping you keep your house fresh and your family healthy. Let in fresh air as often as you can and use chemical-free cleaners to clean the house.

How to Improve the Quality of Your Home's Indoor Air?

Indoor air quality is a matter of concern in all homes. The effects of indoor air on health haven’t had the attention it deserves. Until recently, nobody even spared a thought to indoor air quality, not even considering that the indoors can get polluted. Pollution was always connected with outdoor air, the indoors were, apparently, more healthy. 

How do the indoors get polluted?

All indoors can get polluted, giving rise to serious health hazards.  Various studies suggest that the risks from poor quality indoor air can be substantially higher when compared with outdoor contamination. Pollutants in the indoor air can emanate from different sources, such as the fabric of buildings, combustion due to heating or fuel, and infiltration from outside, through water, air, or soil. Some indoor pollutants could be chemicals, living organisms like mold and pests, and gases.

House dust mites can be a major cause for indoor air pollution. These are usually found in bedding, carpet, and furniture. These thrive the most in coastal areas where the humidity is high.

Indoor air pollutants also include radioactive gas formed in the soil- radon – which is the leading cause of lung cancer among those who do not smoke. Radon can enter inside your house through cracks and openings in floors and walls in contact with the ground.

Another major cause is secondhand smoke that comes from burning tobacco or tobacco products. The smoke can cause serious respiratory illnesses and even cancer.

Space heaters, woodstoves, water heaters, gas stoves, dryers, and fireplaces in homes can also be a major source of air pollution. The amount of pollutants that can be produced from these appliances depends on the type and installation of the appliance. Maintenance of the appliance also plays a major role in release of pollutants in the indoor air.

The indoor may be polluted with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These are chemicals often found in paints and paint strippers, lacquers, cleaning supplies, varnishes, pesticides, office equipment, and repellents. Some air fresheners and dry-cleaned clothing can also be a source of VOC.

Volatile organic compounds irritate the eyes, nose and throat, and cause headaches, nausea, and damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Some of them can cause cancer.

How can you improve your indoor air quality?

Cleanliness - the magic word to control indoor air pollution.

Careful inspection of the building to look for the presence of damp or moist surfaces and any visible moulds is the first step. Sampling the surfaces with sterile swabs where you suspect that moisture or mould could be present is another step that with help in determining the presence of fungal and microorganisms.

Controlling the different sources of pollution is the most effective way to improve indoor air quality. 

Increasing the ventilation of the house and bringing in fresh air will help in reducing indoor pollutants. Whenever the weather permits, keep your windows and doors open. You can also run the air conditioner keeping the vent control open. Having exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens that will flush the air outdoors will also increase the ventilation and reduce indoor pollutants.

Clean the air filters of your air conditioners regularly. If required, change them regularly they are clean and no dust is trapped within.

Adjusting the indoor humidity can also decrease indoor air pollutants. High humidity increase the moisture in the air and the dampness will increase the cultivation of mold. The best way to do this is to maintain the indoor humidity between 30 and 50%. You could use a moisture or humidity gauge, to check the indoor air humidity.

These are some steps you could follow to maintain healthy indoor air quality in your homes. 

How Relative Humidity Affects Indoor Air Quality?

We all know that humidity is vaporized water in the air. Relative humidity refers to the percentage of water vapor in the air at a given temperature, compared with water vapor that the air is capable of holding at that temperature. When the air at a certain temperature has all the water vapor it can hold at that temperature, the relative humidity is said to be 100%. When the relative humidity of a place is too high or too low, it can cause health problems, discomfort and generally less hygienic atmosphere. 

Indoor air quality

Environmental and energy researchers are always studying about the importance of indoor air quality. We all think healthy indoors means adequate ventilation, freshness in the air, control of pollutants and cleanliness. The list does not stop here. One important factor is the humidity levels in the rooms that can be the cause for inadequate hygiene.

The humidity of the air inside the house, if it is not maintained at optimal levels, can be a factor that has adverse affects on the health of the inmates. Maintaining the relative humidity of the air inside the house needs careful attention. 

Desired humidity levels

According to reports, the human body is said to be most comfortable when the relative humidity of the area ranges between 20 and 60%. The recommended average relative humidity for your indoors is 30 to 50%, when the outside temperature is 20°F or more. If the indoor relative humidity is above 60%, mold and mildew begin to form and these can pose quite a problem to the health of the inmates. Eventually, musty odor will start and the indoors will have a clammy feel.

On the other hand, when the relative humidity of the indoors is less than 30%, there is again the risk of health problems. Less than 30% of relative humidity can cause static electricity problems, irritation of the skin and dry eyes. The mucous membranes can start drying, which may reduce the person’s resistance towards upper respiratory illness.    

It is important that the inmates perceive ambient temperature based on the relative humidity of the place. In winter, the ambient temperature would be a between 69 and 78°F at a relative humidity of 30%. However, in summer, when the relative humidity is 60%, the thermostat will fall between 68 and 75°F.

Ways to improve indoor air quality

As the air remains inside the house longer, pollutants also stay longer. This kind if air infiltration differs from home to home. The air infiltration rates also change with weatherization, type of construction materials, and activities of the occupants. Infiltration rates are measured in air changes per hour (ACH), or the number of times the indoor air is replaced by outside air in an hour. The ACH rates differ from house to house and on daily basis. Usually, it is seen that older houses have ACH that averages from 1 to 2. New homes or older ones that are sealed may have an ACH of 5.

Remember, if the ACH rate is too low, the indoor air quality will be low.

Here are some tips to keep the indoor air quality high

•  Open windows to provide CROSS ventilation and reduction of moisture and odors that normally rise from cooking and bathing.
• Spot ventilation will help in reducing the amount of pollutants emitted in a specific area and also prevents their movement around the house.
• Use a dehumidifier in summer and a humidifier in winter.
• Use an air-to-air heat exchanger as it will mechanically ventilate and dehumidify houses in places where the climate is cold. These units can be installed as a part of your central cooling and heating systems.
• Use furnace filters. These are coated with a viscous substance that allows the collection of dust, lint and fibers, preventing them from flowing into the room.

The humidity levels in San Jose are quite unpredictable. The relative humidity of this city ranges from a comfortable 38% to a very uncomfortable 98%.  

Is Duct Cleaning Really Necessary?

Awareness about indoor air quality among homeowners is not as much as it should be. There are not many who give room temperature the importance it deserves. Room temperature denotes comfort and ease that is required after a long day at work. Comfortable room temperature keeps our loved ones in good spirits too.

However, this is not reason why comfortable indoor temperature is important. There is another very important factor called indoor air quality. It is not enough that the temperature inside your home is comfortable; the quality of air should also be healthy. 

Importance of Indoor Air Quality 

The State Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Program by the State of California Department of Public Health states poor indoor air quality is one of the top five environment hazards. The air that flows into the rooms of your house needs to be clean. Otherwise, it could create health problems and have adverse effects on the occupants. It is required that all homeowners realize the importance of having clean air flowing into the rooms from the air conditioner. The air filters of your air conditioners and the ducts of the system play a very important role in maintaining healthy indoor air quality. 

The cool air that flows out from the air conditioners comes from the ducts in the air conditioner. These ducts dispense the conditioned air from unit into the rooms of the house. They are mainly concealed in the walls, at the back of the systems, in attics, basements or ceilings.

These ducts need to be kept in good shape and health. For, the air that flows out from them is the one you and your family inhales! Like all tubes, ducts also need periodic cleaning and can give rise to serious health problems, if neglected. 

Duct Cleaning

Cleaning of the ducts means removing the impurities that get deposited into the various heating and cooling components of your comfort systems. This includes the supply and return air ducts, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, the grilles and diffusers, fan motor and fan housing, condensate drain pans (drip pans), and the housing of the actual air handling units. 

These components can get contaminated with particles of dust, or other types of debris. They can also be the house for microbiological growth like mold and mildew, and the spores from such growth get released into the indoor air. These contaminants can be the cause for allergic reactions or cold and flu in the people exposed to them. 

Hence, cleaning the ducts and the other components of the air conditioners and heating systems is very important for the health of your family. 

When Should the Ducts be Cleaned? 

This is a tricky question. Usually, when you purchase a new air conditioner, the HVAC contractor will carry out periodic checks and maintenance, which could include duct cleaning. But, not always will duct cleaning be included in these maintenance exercises. 

Perhaps, if nobody in your household has any allergies or other symptoms or illnesses, the ducts may not require cleaning. You could also visually inspect the inside of the ducts. If there is no indication of contamination or deposits of dust, mold or odor, you may not really need to clean the ducts. Meanwhile, there may be deposits of loose dust in the ducts. This does not indicate any contamination and can be cleaned by simply vacuuming the ducts.

Methods of Duct Cleaning

There are some standards established by industry associations regarding the cleaning of ducts.  Typically, a service agency will send out a technician who will use specialized tools to dislodge the dust, dirt and any other deposits in ducts. He will them vacuum the ducts with a vacuum cleaner. 

In some case, the technician may suggest applying chemical biocides to the insides of the ducts. This kills the microbiological contaminants. Some agencies recommend applying some chemical treatments such as sealants, to coat the insides of the air ducts. This, they claim, will control the growth of mold growth and prevent the dirt particles or fibers formation in the ducts. 

To sum it all, the ducts of our air conditioning units play an important role when it comes to maintaining indoor air quality.