Although much effort is given to help reduce outdoor air pollution, you might be surprised to learn that indoor air can sometimes be lower in quality than outdoor air. Since it can be difficult for the contaminants in indoor air to escape, they tend to build up over time until they reach dangerous levels. Since many air pollutants pose a risk to you and your family, it’s important to know how to spot when your Downers Grove home’s indoor air quality is suffering. Here are a few signs that the technicians at Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling, Inc. look for when checking a home for poor air quality.
Unexplained Allergies
Indoor allergens can be hard to pin down because allergens affect different people in different ways. What makes one person sneeze and cough might not affect another person at all. If someone in your family is having a tough time with sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, sore throat, or one of any number of allergy symptoms, it could be because you have poor indoor air quality. To help reduce this problem, it’s a good idea to upgrade your air filter to one that can capture smaller particles so that the allergens become trapped in the air filter instead of sailing around your home.
Dusty Furniture
One of the most common indoor contaminants is dust. Made up of dead skin cells, hair, pet dander, and a host of other substances, dust can be a nasty problem. Plus, when dust mites come along to eat the dust, they can cause an allergic reaction when they come into contact with your skin. Therefore, if you notice that your furniture is excessively dusty, it’s a good idea to have Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling, Inc. stop by to see what’s causing the problem. In some cases, an excessively dusty home may be caused by dirty air ducts, a problem that’s fairly easy to correct.
High Humidity
Other than making your skin feel sticky, high humidity, by itself, can’t do much to reduce the quality of your home’s air. However, the longer that excess humidity is allowed to stick around, the more likely it is that you will run into mold problems.
Depending on the type of mold, you could experience significant neurological effects or chronic allergy symptoms. In any event, you want to avoid mold growth at all costs. For the best humidity control, it’s a good idea to have Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling, Inc. install a whole-home dehumidifier so that you can precisely control the relative humidity in your home.
Headaches
While nearly everyone gets headaches from time to time, an especially severe headache could be an indication that there are dangerous problems with your home’s air quality. One possible cause of a severe headache is a high concentration of carbon monoxide in your home. This colorless, odorless, tasteless gas can cause death after just a few minutes of exposure. Therefore, if you have a severe headache, you’re feeling dizzy, or you have sudden nausea, make sure to evacuate your home until a professional can determine if you have a carbon monoxide problem.
Foul Odors
To a certain extent, the idea that something smells “good” or “bad” is subjective. However, certain odors, such as those released by new furniture, paint, or other chemicals, can be more than unpleasant. The substances in these chemicals are called volatile organic compounds, and many of them are harmful to humans.
One good way to overcome the problem of volatile organic compounds is to place some live plants around your home. These plants can absorb harmful substances from your air and release clean, pure oxygen through photosynthesis. Another good option is to have Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling, Inc. install a whole-home air purifier with an activated carbon filter.
We Take Your Health Seriously
At Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling, Inc., we don’t play around with the health of our customers. We want you to have the tools you need to maintain good indoor air quality at all times. This is why we offer maintenance and repair services for air conditioners and furnaces. We also feature a full line of indoor air quality products to help you take control of air quality problems. Plus, if you’re a large or small business and you’re having problems with the air in your facility, we can take on commercial projects, as well. Family-owned and operated for over 40 years, our devotion to integrity has allowed us to maintain an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. To learn more about potential air quality problems, contact us at Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling, Inc. today.
