Allergies Got You Down? Here Are Some Tips to Help

If your allergies are flaring up, it may be time to take stock of your indoor environment. The quality of the air inside your Summerfield, NC home could be getting worse, and you may need to develop an indoor air quality strategy to address the causes of your discomfort. The EPA tells us there are three ways to improve indoor air quality: through source control, improved ventilation and air cleaning technologies.

Control the Source of the Problem

The best place to start in your efforts to battle poor indoor air quality is by minimizing air pollution at its source. Some ways to accomplish this include the following:

• Never allow smoking inside your home.
• Make sure gas appliances are properly vented.
• Control moisture in bathrooms and kitchens
• Clean and dust your home on a regular basis.
• Use safe, organic cleaning products whenever possible.
• Clean carpets and vacuum, using a HEPA filter, regularly.
• Keep your HVAC equipment well-maintained.

Increase Ventilation to Dilute Pollutants

Improving ventilation can significantly reduce the concentration of pollutants inside your home. You can accomplish this in one of three ways: by using natural, targeted or whole-house ventilation. But be aware that natural ventilation, such as opening windows, can sometimes make seasonal allergy symptoms worse by allowing pollens inside, even while reducing indoor contaminant levels. That’s where targeted mechanical ventilation, such as exhaust fans, can help — as can whole-home ventilation using heat recovery or energy recovery ventilators.

Use Air Purifier Technology to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Air filter and air purifier technology can be used with or without the ventilation technologies mentioned above to remove many contaminants from your indoor air. Other IAQ technologies that can prove helpful are CO monitors and UV lamps.

Our air quality experts can help you determine the best IAQ strategy for your home. Call Total Heating & Cooling, Summerfield’s trusted IAQ professionals at (336) 739-4320, for all your IAQ needs.