Your Austin, TX home should be your comfortable and safe haven, but when it’s not, it’s time for you to do a little investigating. If your home is leaving you feeling unwell, poor indoor air quality could be the culprit and you’ll want to call in the HVAC professionals to come to do some testing and potentially provide indoor air quality services. But, are you even familiar with what indoor air quality means?
What Is Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor air quality simply refers to the quality of air around and within homes and buildings as it relates to its occupants’ comfort and health, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Certain things found within a structure that could affect air quality include:
- Ventilation
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Biological or chemical contaminants
Benefits of Good Indoor Air Quality Services
Indoor air quality services in Austin, TX can provide several benefits, including:
1. Breathe Easier
We often take breathing for granted, until it becomes difficult. If the air you breathe becomes contaminated, it can make it harder to breathe and cause you to quickly succumb to allergies and illnesses. Even slight amounts of indoor pollutants could increase your stress levels and inhibit your good health.
2. Better Health
Both indoor and outdoor air quality directly affects your health. Air pollutants can negatively impact your indoor air quality, making indoor air quality testing essential. Some air pollutants that can affect your indoor air quality and negatively impact your health are:
- Radon
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like lead and formaldehyde
- Combustion pollutants like tobacco smoke and carbon monoxide
- Biological pollutants like allergens, pollen, dander, bacteria and dust mites
A professional HVAC technician can come to your home and test your indoor air quality. They’ll measure a portion of the air in your home and have a lab analyze the sample. This can identify any potential pollutants.
3. Elimination of Allergens
Around 10% to 30% of the population worldwide suffers from allergic rhinitis (hay fever), marked by congestion, sneezing, irritated eyes and itchy throat. Allergens, which causes hay fever, are airborne particles that you could be allergic to. Some common allergens are:
- Mold spores
- Dust
- Pollen
- Animal dander
- Cockroach debris
Allergens like these float around in your air, but eventually end up on the flat surfaces of your home and leave a seemingly furry, thin film behind.
As homes are built taller and tighter, HVAC professionals will need to more routinely offer air quality tests and solutions. Indoor air quality services aren’t a mere upsell any longer; they’re a necessity. Not only does testing air quality help solve health symptoms, but it could also help detect other issues within your home like improperly vented appliances like stoves and furnaces or water leaks causing mold.
Alpine Heating and Air Conditioning can help you improve the quality of your indoor air to help you breathe easier. Contact us today to learn about the indoor air quality services we offer.