Indoor air pollution is a frequent cause of preventable illness. If you are a homeowner in Bessemer, AL who has concerns about your indoor air quality, you must know the sources of indoor air pollution before you can take action. Below are three common causes of poor indoor air quality.
1. Pets
Pets can have a negative impact on indoor air quality. Dogs and cats shed both their hair and their dander, and these will circulate throughout your home and impact how well you breathe.
Added to this, of course, is all the dirt that an animal can bring indoors after it has been playing outside. The primary solution to this problem is to clean your pets regularly and thoroughly, taking special care to brush them. Buying air purifiers and higher-MERV-rated HVAC filters is also helpful.
You also want to make sure you clean surfaces in your home often. If you allow pets on your furniture, you should procure pet-proof furniture coverings and wash them weekly.
2. Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds are gases that release into the air from various products we use at home, such as household cleaners or paints. These gases can trigger symptoms, such as nausea and allergic skin reactions.
To minimize the impact of volatile organic compounds, switch to cleaners that are more natural and then make sure that your ventilation system is in excellent shape to take care of the rest. For this, you may need HVAC maintenance or duct cleaning.
3. Asbestos
Asbestos was a building material commonly used years ago because of its strength and heat resistance. Though its toxicity has eliminated its use, you can still find it in older buildings. Remodeling an older home is a frequent way of inadvertently releasing it into the air.
The forgoing threats to IAQ can be merely annoying, or they can be deadly. For help combating threats to your indoor air quality, call One Source Heating, Cooling & Electrical in Bessemer, AL and request our indoor air quality solutions.
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