Why You Should Have An Air Conditioning Service Provider Conduct Indoor Air Quality Testing | Frisco, TX
Indoor air quality (IAQ) testing helps you determine the leading cause of various symptoms that family members are experiencing. It also allows you to devise a plan for adopting measures to enhance it. Hence, you must have an air conditioning service provider test the indoor air quality periodically. There is a wide range of impacts of inhaling poor indoor air quality. However, regular testing can reduce the pollutants by allowing you to act on specific issues. The indoor air might contain various contaminants like VOCs, biological pollutants, dust, pet dander, lead, pesticides, asbestos, cigar smoke, particulates, and other allergens. Even excessive moisture/humidity can result in poor indoor air quality.
What Are the Main Causes of Poor IAQ?
From pet dander to high pollen levels during fall, the air circulating in your Frisco, TX home may not be as safe and clean as you might have thought. Below are the most common causes of poor indoor air quality and how hiring an air conditioning service provider can help avert them.
Mold
One of the principal reasons for poor IAQ (indoor air quality) is mold. You probably get chills down your spine just thinking about mold spreading in your house. Nobody wants mold to develop under the walls in the kitchen or beneath the bathroom tiles. It might appear impossible to avoid depending on how much humid air is present in particular areas. Mold can be difficult to eradicate since the spores can quickly reappear with little effort. When you learn that these mold spores may float over the air and cause a wide range of skin, respiratory, and digestive issues, the situation only gets worse.
The best action is to contact reputable air conditioning service providers who can eliminate the problem if you believe mold reduces the air quality within your home. The technician will check the condensate drain lines for any clogs and the ducts for excessive sweating that could create favorable conditions for mold growth. Checking your home’s wood and carpets can serve as a rapid test for the presence of mold, especially in damp spaces like the bathroom or kitchen, where mold is more likely to develop.
Asbestos
Asbestos is the other main reason your home might have poor IAQ, particularly in older structures. The substance is frequently used in paint, building supplies, floors, and ceilings. However, since asbestos has already been outlawed in the US, it is improbable that you will find it in a recent property. To determine if your home contains asbestos, speak with an air conditioning service provider.
Natural Pollutants
Dust mites, mold, viruses, microbial growth, and pet fur can all enter your indoor space from outside and build up in your air ducts and vents. It also makes your air conditioner work harder to control temperatures and airflow, which not only results in poor interior air quality. A comprehensive inspection and regular maintenance of your HVAC system by a heating and air conditioning service provider in Frisco, TX can help reduce the accumulation of pollutants in various home parts.
Appliance-Generated Pollutants
Do you use appliances that are fuel powered? Unfortunately, the fuel-burning appliances you use at home every day can also be why your indoor air quality is low. Space heaters, water heaters, charcoal and wood stoves, driers, gas stoves, and other combustion-based appliances may negatively and inadvertently impact indoor air quality. To reduce the contaminants, have an air conditioning service provider install or upgrade your HVAC system to a more energy-efficient one. Additionally, use appliances that use eco-friendly fuels like those which use electrical appliances.
Synthetic Fragrances
There may be chemicals in air fresheners, deodorizers, and colognes that are not governed by regulatory regulations. Interactions between these chemicals and other environmental factors may lower indoor air quality. Use only deodorizers and air fresheners that use regulated and organic ingredients. Be extremely careful about the fragrances you buy since this isn’t an issue that your air conditioning service provider in Frisco, TX may help you with. It is an issue that requires a change of lifestyle or being more careful. This is because they likely will be pulled by the air conditioning system and settle in the ducts. The smell will be pushed back into your indoor space in the next cooling cycle.
Radon
Like asbestos, radon was previously a widely used building material for homes since it may be found in different types of bedrock. However, radon can result in poor IAQ, mainly if it builds up significantly behind your home’s walls and in its cracks. Ventilating the crawlspace is one way to get rid of or, at minimum, lower radon levels in your home. If your home is old or probably made from asbestos roofing or tiles, you should have an air conditioning service provider install a ventilation system.
Cigarette Residue
Smoking indoors can also contribute to indoor air pollution. Long-term tobacco use not only has well-known negative health impacts, but the tobacco residue can also impact the air quality your family breathes. Reducing or quitting the smoking habit is an easy fix. Otherwise, you can address the issue by having an air conditioning service provider clean the air ducts and other HVAC system components. Since this will cost you a fortune, changing your smoking habits is probably the best idea.
Pesticides
The other issue that can result in poor IAQ is the use of pesticides at your home. Even after being disposed of, pesticides that you use to eradicate pests like mosquitoes, rodents, and flies may still have an impact. Chemical residues from pesticides may adhere to the soil, walls, furniture, or floor. After applying pesticides at your Frisco, TX home, you should open the windows and have a heating and air conditioning service provider replace the air filters and clean the air ducts. These chemical substances can cause eye discomfort, CNS damage, and increased cancer risk, among other health problems.
Dirty Clothing or Fabrics
Large amounts of dander, dust and other unwanted items can accumulate on dirty bed sheets, rugs, curtains, and furniture covers. Make it a point to thoroughly clean your house and have an air conditioning service regularly. Otherwise, the danger will negatively impact the indoor air quality at your home.
Poor Ventilation
The IAQ (indoor air quality) is significantly influenced by ventilation. Without suitable ventilation systems, there’s no room through which the air can escape or flow from your house. As a result, the air will always feel quite congested and musty. Ensure your home has adequate ventilation, especially in the kitchen and bathroom rooms, to help combat this. Most bathrooms already have overhead ventilation to remove moisture from the air, especially after a shower.
You may prevent mold growth in your bathroom by turning on your overhead vent. Similar to bathrooms, kitchens have ventilation systems. Ensure you use the kitchen vents for venting steam while cooking, baking, and running hot water. If your Frisco, TX home doesn’t have a sound ventilation system, you should have an air conditioning service provider install one.
Why Should You Test the Indoor Air Quality?
The indoor air quality at your home is directly related to the level of comfort you can enjoy. Hence, you need a home that has high indoor air quality. For this reason, you need to have an air conditioning service provider test your indoor air for any contaminants or other factors affecting indoor air quality. Below are the main benefits that you can experience through regular testing of the indoor air quality:
Improved Health Effects
If your home’s indoor air quality is poor, you might start noticing that your family members have nasal irritation, nausea, headaches, fatigue, and scratchy throat. The signs or effects of indoor air quality might mimic those of viruses, allergies, and colds. Additionally, if you have some members of your family that have asthma, they might see their symptoms worsen. If the effects of the poor IAQ only arise in one area or place and then diminish when you leave, then the indoor air source might be the primary origin of your symptoms. This is called sick building syndrome.
Over time, indoor air contaminants exacerbate the risk or put you in more danger of suffering or contracting a respiratory disease, cancer, or heart problems. Therefore, you can enhance the IAQ and your long- and short-term health by having an air conditioning service provider test your indoor air quality. Then, the professional might take measures to correct or improve it if it has any contaminants. For instance, they might advise that you change your cleaning products, install better air filters, and clean the air ducts. The professional might also improve the ventilation system and tune up your HVAC system.
Boost Your Comfort
Having poor IAQ has different effects on different people. Even the symptoms themselves might be highly unpleasant. Nobody wants their nose, eyes, or throat to itch, but better air quality can help. On the other hand, even a minor headache could be a sign of a potentially harmful situation, like exposure to carbon monoxide. To stay on the safe side, it’s crucial to keep track of your symptoms & have the indoor air quality evaluated.
The ideal range for indoor humidity is 30% to 50%. Higher concentrations can feel sticky and warm and raise the possibility of mold. On the other hand, you could feel dry skin, increased viruses and colds, and static electricity if the moisture levels are too low. Testing the indoor air quality can reveal precisely what is preventing you from feeling comfortable so that you can act to raise it. Fortunately, if you have a routine air conditioning service done by a technician in Frisco, TX, you can rest assured that your HVAC system will regulate the humidity levels.
Lower Electricity Bills and Increased Energy Efficiency
Various air quality problems usually result from poor ventilation. This makes your HVAC system work harder. As a result, there is more strain on the system, meaning that it will use more energy, increasing the utility bills. However, a properly functioning air conditioning system helps trap those pollutants and reduce their concentration. Hence, you need to have an air conditioning service to ensure that every part of your unit is properly operating and cooling your indoor space. They will also lay or design a proper ventilation system to provide indoor and outdoor airflow.
Improved Employee Performance
The tendency is for productivity to rise when people are more at ease. Lowering absence rates and raising performance can be achieved by reducing sickness occurrences and symptoms associated with poor air quality. You can focus on the contaminants to test for by adhering to the most recent building codes and using surveys to ascertain employee comfort levels with regard to humidity, temperature, and other aspects. Find patterns and problem areas by comparing your survey results to a floor plan. Results should be shared with everyone after analysis to improve reporting and accuracy. Additionally, ensure that you have an air conditioning service done regularly.
Reduced House Odors
Unpleasant odors can come from smoke, rodent droppings, mold, combustion products, and other indoor contaminants. Often, the issue is hidden deep within your air conditioning ducts. People in your house or office may become miserable due to offensive odors. Additionally, they may signify more significant issues that could endanger their health and safety. Hence, have the ducts cleaned by a professional air conditioning service provider. Additionally, a fresher odor makes a space feel more welcoming to visitors, clients, and staff.
The indoor air quality at your home plays a huge role in your comfort and that of your family. Hence, you should leave nothing to chance to ensure that it has no airborne contaminants. Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas, your reliable AC repair company in Frisco, TX, for an air conditioning service that ensures you have high indoor air quality.