While you may know that poor indoor air quality in your Birmingham, Alabama, home can cause sleep disturbance and respiratory illness, you may be unaware of what poor IAQ can actually cost you in the long run. Discomfort may be your top concern, but poor IAQ can cost you in a number of other ways.
Increased Illness
When dust, dirt, pollen, and allergens circulate in the air supply in your home, they can irritate your throat and nasal passages, increasing discharge and causing stuffiness. They can also lead to more severe problems such as a dry and irritated throat and breathing issues. Poor IAQ also is likely the culprit if you or someone in your household has recently experienced an increase in allergy or asthma symptoms.
This means if your indoor air quality is suffering, your household members may be experiencing illness more often than they should. This can lead to an increase in medical costs such as doctor bills, emergency room visits, breathing treatments, and prescription costs. Over time, this can lead to a significant expense that is likely not planned for in your budget
Increased Cleaning Costs
Whether you perform your household cleaning yourself or outsource it to a third party, poor IAQ can make cleaning more expensive. The increased dirt, pollen, dander, and debris that circulates throughout your home will cause buildup and heavier settling on the furniture and counters around your home. This means you may have to pay for longer cleaning or will spend more of your time on cleaning and more money on cleaning products.
Poor Quality Sleep
As mentioned above, poor IAQ can lead to poor sleep. Allergens and other pollutants in the air can lead to dryness and stuffiness, which can lower your ability to breathe deeply and prevent your body from going into a fully relaxed state. For those who suffer from asthma or allergies, these symptoms can cause even more discomfort. This will lead to constant waking and restless sleep. Improper sleep can lead to daytime fatigue and even translate to more days off of work.
Less Productivity
While poor sleep can affect your productivity, there are other ways that poor IAQ in your home can lower this as well. Poor IAQ in your home can lead to problems from elevated levels of VOCs and CO2 such as drowsiness, headaches, and poor concentration and retention. These ailments combined with other possible respiratory issues can leave you fatigued and functioning lower than your peak.
For those who work out of their home, it can lead to loss of income and for those who don’t, it can lead to problems getting things done around the home or even enjoying daily activities.
Problems With Your HVAC System
Poor indoor air quality can also lead to problems with your HVAC system. As the dirt, dust, and debris make their way through the air in your home, they can get into your HVAC system where they can clog parts, wear them out quicker, and even damage some of those parts. When this occurs, you will have the added expense of more frequent repairs and even the possible cost of a full system replacement.
Additionally, when this damage and buildup occurs, it can cause problems with the airflow in your home. When the heated and cooled air cannot get through to get the rooms to the appropriate temperature, your HVAC system will have to work harder. This means it will be functioning less efficiently, expending more energy, and costing you more on your monthly utility bills.
It is easy to see that poor indoor air quality not only affects your comfort and quality of living, but it can also affect your budget. Whether it is through poor performance, higher utility bills, or more expensive repairs, poor IAQ will cost you in the end. Want to learn more about the effects of indoor air quality or how to improve it in your home? Contact the HVAC specialists at One Source Heating & Cooling at (205) 509-1929 today to find out how.
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