What Is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?
Your home’s indoor air quality, or IAQ, is like a “clean air” score, and it tells you about the quality of your home’s air. IAQ is so important because it shows how healthy your indoor spaces for your family. Your home’s indoor air quality affects your comfort, health and ability to live and work. The major factors in IAQ score are humidity, ventilation and pollutants.
Air Filters Affect Your IAQ
Your home’s air filters pull contaminants out of the air and make it safe for you to breathe. It’s important to clean and replace your filters routinely, otherwise the filters will be too full to hold any more contaminants. When you keep your AC filters clean, you are improving your indoor air quality.
There are plenty of filters to choose from, but the most well-known are High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. HEPA filters are fantastic for homes with small children, pets and anyone with allergies or asthma. These filters remove at least 99.7% of airborne particles with a diameter of 0.3 microns. For people who want to boost their IAQ, HEPA filters are a great route.
4 Common Air Pollutants In Your Home
If you wait too long to clean your filters, then you’re probably dealing with air contaminants. There are many potential sources of pollution that you’ll find in your home, but each one’s impact depends on its concentration and hazard levels.
Mold
One of the most common indoor air pollutants is mold. Mold spores spread quickly and easily, and they love to grow in damp areas. Unvented bathrooms, humidifiers and condensate pans are all perfect breeding grounds for mold and mildew. Keeping your home clear of mold spores is important, because they often release disease-causing toxins.
Pet Dander And Saliva
Your furry friend is always there for you, and he’s always there in your air, too! Your pet’s dander and saliva is floating through your space, even though you don’t see it. Replacing your filters will help remove these contaminants from your homethe air, luckily. Animal dander and saliva trigger asthma and allergy symptoms, so it’s important to keep them out of your air.
Dust Mites
These little pests are common, and they thrive in warm, humid environments. You can find dust mite particles in pillows, mattresses, furniture and carpeting, and they’ll float through the air whenever you disturb the space.
Cleaning, vacuuming and walking will all shake the mites loose from their corners, and this can trigger symptoms of allergies and asthma. In fact, they are a very common cause of asthma in children. A HEPA filter will help remove dust mites from your homeair, despite their tiny size.
Pollen
It’s always fun to spend the day outdoors, but it’s less fun when the outdoors come into your home. Pollen comes from all kinds of plants and flowers, and it’s not something we think of as having in our home. But these particles stick to your clothes, hair and skin, and they’ll circulate through your home once you’re inside.
This pollutant is also a major trigger for allergies, and it can be tough to control. Luckily, a high-rated MERV or HEPA filter can help you out.
Personalized Indoor Air Quality Solutions
Are you struggling with IAQ issues in your home? Common contaminants can put you and your family at risk, so it’s important to find a personalized IAQ solution for your home. At Champion AC, we put the comfort of our San Antonio families first. Our wide range of air care services will help put your mind at ease.
If you’re ready to breathe easier, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Champion AC.
