Indoor air quality and how your air conditioner affects it, should be a common concern since the average American spends the majority of their time inside their home, office, or other interiors. Indoor air quality is typically 2-4 times more polluted then the outdoor air even with a clean air conditioning filter. In all cities, not just San Antonio, air conditioning technicians can inspect indoor air quality in your home. Air pollutants are circulated throughout your home by your air conditioning system. Some of these pollutants include pollen, smoke, chemicals from cleaning products, mold and mildew, dirt and dust, pet dander and other allergens.
Poor indoor air quality can actually affect your health. Everyone reacts to various air pollutants differently. While it may be a huge issue to one person, it might not even affect another. Some symptoms of exposure to indoor allergens include: headaches, itchy skin and/or eyes, tiredness, nausea, dizziness, and stuffy or runny nose. Mold is one allergen that is not to be taken lightly. Prolonged exposure to mold spores can result in severe sickness or even death. Overall, any prolonged exposure to pollutants, even if there are no symptoms, will take a toll on an individuals health. Some of these symptoms may seem minor, but why continue living with them when action can be taken to improve?
Most of the interiors we inhabit use recycled air. Air conditioning units take the air from inside our homes, cool it, and send it back through the house through the air conditioning vents. This air needs to be constantly filtered and an air conditioning unit can help with exactly that. AC filters are very effective at removing many of the pollutants mentioned. Each time the air is cooled and pushed back into your home through the AC filter, it traps those allergens in the AC filter. It is important to regularly change your AC filter to ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner and your indoor air quality. Make sure you routinely have your AC cleaned and serviced and that your air ducts are thoroughly cleaned. This ensures that the air is being cleaned by the filter before it enters your home.
Proper ventilation is important to any enclosed space. With proper ventilation, indoor air quality is greatly improved and humidity is kept low. If indoor humidity is high it can be the perfect breeding ground for mold. As mentioned earlier, mold is serious problem. Keep humidity at bay by utilizing exhaust fans during and after you take a shower or when you are cooking on a stove top. Some AC units even have built in dehumidifiers to take any excess moisture out of the air. During the hot summer months ventilate your home by turning off the air conditioner unit and opening windows early in the morning or late at night when it is cool. This will give your home a dose of fresh air while maintaining a cool interior. Be sure to turn your air conditioning unit back on before it gets too hot outside so the HVAC system is not struggling to keep your home cool.
Some other simple tips to help improve your indoor air quality are to prohibit smoking, avoid using aerosol sprays, and regularly bathing pets to reduce dander. All of these tips are referred to as source control. Source control is limiting the amount of pollutants that are being released into the air by directly effecting the source (i.e. pets, aerosol sprays, smoke, etc.).
These simple tips will not only keep you healthier but will create a home with efficient and clean air conditioning system. This means less air conditioning repair bills, which saves money, and cleaner air in your home.
Remember, regular AC maintenance is your best bet for catching issues with your HVAC system before minor repairs turn into costly air conditioning repairs.
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