Summer is in high gear here in the Midwest, and that means heat and humidity are popular talking points. Your home’s HVAC system is working hard to keep your home cool and comfortable, a job that your friends at Masters Heating & Cooling Inc. is happy to help with. Another topic that we hear a lot from our customers about is indoor air quality (IAQ) . Maintaining good indoor air quality is also the job of your HVAC system.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is impacted by a variety of factors, including humidity, dust and debris which find their way into your home, airborne pollutants and allergens such as mold and dust mites and various man-made or natural gases such as carbon monoxide and radon. Poor indoor air quality can impact your family’s health in many ways:
- Irritation of the eyes, nose and throat
- Headaches, dizziness and fatigue
- Aggravated or worsened asthma or other respiratory ailments
- Heart disease and cancer
While it is commonly assumed that indoor air quality is generally better than outdoor air quality, studies show that indoor air quality may be as much as two to five times worse than outdoor. When you factor in the amount of time we spend indoors – anywhere from 70-90 percent of our time – it is no wonder that the Environmental Protection Agency has declared indoor air pollution as a top-five environmental risk to public health safety.
Dust Mites
Dust mites are a particularly troubling indoor pollutant/allergen because they are actually living organisms. They are tiny, microscopic cousins of the spider that dwell indoors on bedding, mattresses, furniture, curtains and carpets and can really be a significant problem for those who suffer from allergies or other ailments. There are two reasons they like to hang out indoors: one, they feed on the dried skin flakes that we humans shed each day; and two, they thrive on humidity. Now, aside from applying more lotion, we don’t have much advice about the former. But the latter, humidity, we can help you with.
Dust mites are able to survive and grow when the relative humidity indoors is constantly above 50 percent. As most indoor air quality studies show, the ideal relative humidity levels for indoors is between 30-50%. So, maintaining the humidity in that range can help eliminate – or at least curb the growth – of dust mites in your home. A great way to do this is by installing a whole-home humidifier , which keeps the humidity at a constant level in your home, summer or winter. A dehumidifier can also be the answer and Masters carries a full line of Aprilaire air purification products.
Fort Wayne, Decatur, Angola, Indianapolis, Greenwood, Mishawaka HVAC Services
Masters provides top-of-the-line HVAC services across a wide range of communities in the Midwest. Call today to schedule service, maintenance or to find out more about how we can help you improve your indoor air quality. And please visit us on social media !
