Guide to Improving Your Indoor Air Quality in Daniel Island, SC

The EPA estimates that the average American spends about 90% of their time indoors, whether at home or in the office. Because there’s less circulation of fresh air indoors, your indoor air has more pollutants than the outdoor air. This article explores all you need to know about improving the quality of indoor air in Daniel Island, SC.

What Pollutes Indoor Air?

Particulates such as smoke are from combustion inside or outside your home. If you live near a major road or a city, combustion from vehicles and fuel-burning machines in industries pollute your indoor air. Other outdoor pollutants include dust blown by the wind and wildfires.

Outdoor pollutants can be particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, among others. These outdoor pollutants enter your home through natural or mechanical ventilation or infiltration.

Indoor pollutants include particulate matter from indoor combustion, biological contaminants such as bacteria and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are very common in homes, and they result from paints, cleaning chemicals, printers/copiers, varnishes, waxes, fuel products, floorings, aerosol sprays, furniture and bedding, among others.

Some of the indoor pollutants such as bacteria might also come from the outdoors. Other outdoor pollutants such as allergens from flowers may come indoors in the form of pet dander.

Testing the Indoor Air Quality

If there are recent changes in your home, such as a pet or recent home renovation, your indoor air quality may be poor. If there’s moisture on some parts of your home, you are only a few weeks from odors and poor IAQ. Another indicator of poor IAQ is increasing amounts of dust in your rooms.

Our experts can help test your indoor air quality. During the test, we take a sample of the air in your home from different rooms. The readings from the air quality monitor will show which rooms have a high level of particulate matter, humidity and microorganisms and will probably indicate the source of the pollutants.

Using Whole-Home Air Filtration System to Improve Indoor Air Quality

A whole-house air filtration system works more effectively than portable air purifiers if you need to clean the air in all your rooms. The system has dehumidifiers, humidifiers, air purifiers, thermostats and ventilation systems. Dehumidifiers remove moisture while humidifiers introduce moisture during the cold and the warm weather respectively.

Air purifiers have filters and or emit UV light. Air filters filter microorganisms and particulates that pass through the air purification system while UV lamps emit UV light that inactivates microorganisms and pores by damaging their DNA.

Ventilation systems are ideal in removing stale indoor air and introducing fresh outdoor air. When technicians install these well, the ventilation systems can help cool or heat a room effectively.

The whole-house filtration system also has an automation system that employs programmable or smart thermostats. Thermostats have sensors that can detect the humidity level in your home and initiate the necessary mechanism to reduce it.

Using Portable Air Purifiers

Portable air purifiers can be used when you don’t have a whole-house air filtration system. These purifiers are available in different sizes, depending on the size of your rooms. When shopping for an air purifier, you need to pick one with a certification from AHAM, an independent body that tests ACs and air purifiers.

Some of the systems not designed well might emit ozone, and you need to be careful when shopping for an air purifier. You should also check the rating of the air filter to ensure it’ll trap small particulates and microorganisms from your indoor air.

Filters come with a MERV rating of between 1 and 20 with 20 being the highest. You need to pick the MERV rating recommended by the AC and furnace manufacturers to ensure that the system doesn’t work so hard against the resistance the filter offers.

We can help you improve your indoor air quality. Call us at AC Heating and Air Conditioning Services in Daniel Island, SC, today and schedule IAQ system maintenance, or get advice on indoor air quality products and systems.

Image provided by iStock