Maintaining good indoor air quality is important for everyone, but it’s especially crucial for those who live in Tampa, FL. The hot, humid climate can be a breeding ground for bacteria and other pollutants, which can make you sick and uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your indoor air quality and keep your home or office healthy and comfortable.
Why Indoor Air Quality Matters
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that indoor air pollution is higher than outdoor air pollution and is likely to impact your health negatively. Poor indoor air quality is more dangerous than outdoor air pollution. Building materials, a cloud of pet dust, chemicals, cooking activities, improperly adjusted gas stoves, electronic appliances, and dust are all potential contaminants.
Prolonged exposure to indoor air pollutants can cause long-term or short-term problems for your body. In the long term, indoor air pollutants can trigger health problems like asthma, cancer, heart disease, low birth weight, pneumonia, and other respiratory diseases. In the short term, you’ll likely experience eye irritation, dizziness, headaches, allergic reactions, and fatigue. The Tampa AC experts at Fairway Heating and Cooling, LLC have one goal: to fix and ensure mechanical ventilation and filtration. When your system is in good condition, you can reduce the buildup of harmful particles and allergens in your house. You can improve your health conditions by following these steps:
Tips for Improving Indoor Air Quality
When you identify indoor air sources that uplift your indoor air quality, you upgrade your life and lower the chances of contracting chronic diseases related to indoor pollution.
1. Ensure Proper Ventilation
Opening the windows and doors to allow airflow is the easiest way to improve indoor air quality. This removes the stale air and brings in fresh indoor air. You can control the air by maintaining adequate ventilation, using outdoor vented fans, and installing air cleaners. Proper ventilation is useful in carrying indoor air pollutants outside of your home. Those living in congested areas may find it hard to open windows and doors because of air pollutants from outside. So, choose the best time of the day for ventilation.
2. Invest in Houseplants
Indoor plants add aesthetics and color to any space and increase outdoor air coming indoors, leading to air purification. These plants filter pollutants that get in your house from the outdoor air. Volatile organic compounds, known as VOCs, from cleaning detergents, trash, carpets, natural gas, wood, and harmful chemicals will get filtered by plants, leaving cleaner and safer indoor air.
3. Use Non-Toxic Paints
Paints continuously diminish indoor air quality, causing health issues for your body. On the market, you will find a variety of patients. Some have strong fumes that can make you faint when they release organic compounds. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends paints with Low VOCs or Zero VOCs as they’re less harmful.
4. Maintain Low Humidity
A well-ventilated indoor environment is good, but it can also be harmful at the same time. Humidity levels should be maintained between 30-50 percent in the house to control mites, molds and other allergens. A dehumidifier will come in handy for regulating humidity during humid seasons.
5. Avoid Furniture with VOCs
Household cleaning is essential for indoor air quality. We value furniture, but many are made of volatile organic compounds that affect indoor air quality. VOCs react with sunlight and release substances that damage our lungs and cause irritation. The toxins released increase indoor pollutant levels, spoiling the house’s air quality. Ensure you choose furniture with zero pollutants.
6. Avoid Smoking Indoors
Smoking indoors is bad for your indoor air too. Secondhand smoke causes health risks, such as asthma, lung cancer, and other respiratory diseases. Candles, incense sticks, and anything else that, when burned, emits significant amounts of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. If you have a family member smoking or a guest, don’t allow them to smoke indoors.
7. Keep Your Floor Clean Regularly
Frequent mopping of the floors removes dust that might be lying on the surface. Avoid using detergents when cleaning the surfaces; instead, use plain water to capture the dust. Wearing shoes in the house, carpets, and rugs are significant contributors to indoor pollutants. Regular cleaning should be done if the carpets and rugs are in place, and consider having a no-shoes household to improve indoor air quality.
8. Avoiding the Use of Air Fresheners
Some people think using air fresheners can improve indoor air quality, but they emit harmful chemical pollutants. A better alternative is to use natural ventilation. You can also prepare homemade air fresheners using locally sourced ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemons.
9. Keep Up with AC Repairs
Air conditioners require routine maintenance to function efficiently and effectively. When summer or winter is around the corner, you will want to ensure that the AC works well. Neglecting necessary maintenance will affect the performance of the AC. If you encounter the following problems with your AC, contact Fairway Heating & Cooling,LLC for assistance.
- Warm air
- Insufficient airflows
- High quality
- Frequent cycles
- Unusual noise
- Bad odors
- Water leaks
Want to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Tampa, FL? Contact Fairway Heating and Cooling, LLC today!
If you are struggling with indoor air quality problems, it is good to seek professional help before it affects your health. The team at Fairway Heating and Cooling, LLC, performs professional AC repair, timely maintenance, and expert air conditioning installation throughout Tampa Bay and surrounding areas. We love to work with our clients to ensure they get the best service and value. With our years of experience in the HVAC industry and a focus on customer experience, we’re dedicated to getting the job done right the first time. Call (813) 443-9439 to request a free estimate.
