We asked tulsa hvac companies to give us the lowdown on the truth about indoor air quality. It turns out there is a lot of confusion and misinformation out there. So we’re going to debunk and dismiss the most common myths about indoor air quality that are currently swirling around out there.
After you read the following, you’ll not only know what’s what about improving your indoor air quality, but you may even pick up a few air conditioning tips as well.
Controlling Indoor Air Quality
If you have an HVAC system in your home, you are able to perform two very important functions with it. The first, of course, is to regulate the interior temperature of the home. When it’s too hot outside it gets to be even hotter indoors, until you switch on your air conditioner. In a short period of time, it’s going to get much cooler inside.
The other is to regulate the quality of your indoor air. This is where things get to be a bit more complicated as you can’t just flip a switch to improve the quality of air. There are other steps you need to take in order to do that, but not all homeowners know what those are…until now:
Removing Foul Smells
If you detect a bad stench coming from your system, eliminating it won’t necessarily increase the quality of your indoor air. Sure, it’ll smell better when you run the system but there are other concerns that must also be addressed.
If the inside of the home is excessively humid, that additional moisture in the air can promote the growth of mold and mildew in places you likely haven’t even looked much less considered as a resource of detrimental contaminants in your air. For homes with high humidity, it makes a whole lot of sense to start running humidifiers. This will actually improve your indoor air quality.
The Dangers of Carpet
Many consumers believe that installing carpet into a home can have a significantly negative impact on the air quality of the home because so much dirt, dust mites, allergens and other contaminants can get caught in the fibers and backing material and remain there, only to trigger one allergic flare-up after the next.
This is only half true, or for the most part, inaccurate. While it is true that carpet does attract and catch all of those harmful elements, the carpet is actually doing you a service by acting as a filter for such things. The result is airborne contaminants being removed from the air to increase the level or indoor air quality.
It’s only when the carpeting is not properly maintained that the carpet can, in fact, make you sick by allowing too many of those contaminants to build up and accumulate, only to be released into the air en masse when someone steps on the fibers. That’s why routine vacuuming and professional cleanings are essential for removing all of those nasty elements.
Air Conditioners Can’t Clean the Air
Much like carpet, air conditioners are excellent at removing airborne particulate during the cooling process. These units have air filters that get the most common things like dust and pet dander. But they’re not an end all, be all solution. A good air purifier should be used in addition to your AC to give you the best indoor air quality possible.
