Largely due to Twin Cities homes being built more airtight for efficiency purposes, indoor air can actually be more contaminated than outdoor air. Since Americans spend much of their time indoors, your home may actually be making you sick. Breathing difficulties, allergies and flu-like symptoms may all be due to the quality of your indoor air. You should learn how to identify indoor air quality problems and eliminate as many as possible.
Biological pollutants such as mold, dust mites and pests may be noticeable due to odors in the air or some visual clues. If you are able to smell mold or other odors in your home you should detect the source and eliminate it as soon as possible. Visual clues include excess moisture on windows, dirty air filters on furnaces and air conditioners as well as excessive dust in t
he home.
Changes in health can point out indoor air quality problems, especially after renovations or new construction. Many pollutants are not visually detectable yet can be extremely hazardous, such as formaldehyde, lead dust and asbestos. If headaches, dizziness, nausea, allergy symptoms and breathing difficulties appear after building or renovating, you may have some of these dangerous chemicals in the air you breathe.
The various forms of heating we use in the winter may also contribute to poor indoor air quality. Combustibles such as gas, firewood and coal can produce the odorless gases carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. These may cause headaches, fatigue, irritation to mucous membranes and death.
Winterizing your home will improve your energy consumption and require less heating. Winterizing includes sealing any areas that are allowing outdoor air into your home, adding sufficient insulation and installing storm windows. Reducing the outdoor air and moisture coming into your home can reduce some pollutants.
Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning has been providing expert service to the Twin Cities area for 40 years. We can provide solutions for your indoor air quality problems and ensure your existing equipment is safe. Contact us to learn more.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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