Allergies or sensitivities to airborne pollutants can vary from being a mere nuisance to a serious health problem, The symptoms are most often aggravated by wind-blown dust and bio-organic pollutants, especially in the hot, dry climate of southwest Arizona. Staying indoors, however, provides little relief, as airborne contaminants work their way into your home through windows and doors, air leaks, the air conditioning system and ductwork. In addition to annual inspections by your local HVAC professionals, there are three steps you can take to improve your home’s indoor air quality:
- Consider purchasing a central air filtering system for your home and having it installed by an HVAC professional. While room purifiers are available, they will only clean the air in one room, not the whole home. Check the clean air delivery rate of any system before purchasing, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the filter. The higher the clean air delivery rate, the more the indoor air quality of a room or home will improve.
- Dust mites are a major source of indoor air pollution and are commonly found in homes. Dust mites produce waste and dried shell fragments that break down into easily inhaled airborne particles. These materials can add to allergy misery. Reduce dust mite populations and thereby improve indoor air quality by washing bed linens every week, encasing mattresses in hypoallergenic covers and using a dehumidifier when the air conditioner is not in use.
- Other sources of airborne pollutants include pets, furnishings, air fresheners, cleaning products, pesticides, and malfunctioning air conditioning or heating units. Change air conditioner filters on a regular basis, and vacuum rugs and furniture often if you have pets. Stain-retardant fabric treatment sprays, air fresheners, pesticides, and cleaning products and applications also release pollutants into the air. Read the product labels for possible irritants and store them according to manufacturer’s directions.
For more expert information on how to improve the air quality in your home or business, contact Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. Our family-owned company and its staff of professional NATE-certified technicians is celebrating 60 years of providing skilled residential and commercial HVAC service to the Yuma area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about improving indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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