What should you know about HVAC?

Can air quality actually make you sick? Is your HVAC system functioning properly and is it the reason for all the troubles you are facing? Are there any HVAC services needed to make the quality of your life at home better?

These are the questions which often worry people who all of a sudden start having some health issues they have never faced before. Like, for instance, chronic headaches, or when your kid starts having chronic cough or adenoidal growth, or when you get eczema. All this looks really alarming and makes you wonder what to expect and how to deal with this problem? 

First of all, make sure that you have checked the symptoms that are closely linked to poor indoor quality, like, for example, sinus congestion, cough and sneezes, recently appeared fatigue and headaches, irritation of the eyes and throat, allergy and possible hypersensitivity. If you have marked at least several, this might indicate that the quality of indoor air is rather poor and you have to contact your HVAC contractor or to do something about it on your own. 

The easiest way to get the answer to the question bothering you about the quality would be definitely use indoor quality monitor and test the quality of the air at home and check for mold as it might be one of the reasons for causing this unpleasantness. Or just download and use the app to track the quality and get personalized health recommendations and use it all the time and everywhere.

However, apart from the modern ways of checking and controlling the quality of indoor air, there are things needed to be done and monitored regularly, such as ventilation in your house. It is a well known fact that poor ventilation is one of the main causes for most indoor air problems as it is connected with the accumulation of different contaminants from various sources as stove or fireplace emissions, building material itself can lead to air problems, not to say anything about chemicals and cleaning supplies that are kept inside and are the reason for “breathing difficulty”. 

The so-called “humidifier fever”, an illness caused by poorly maintained humidifiers and air conditioners, is threatening more and more households every year causing chills, headaches and chronic coughs. Fungi and bacteria grow quickly in the warm water and the water is getting in to the air and is inhaled by people and that is the way it is distributed all around the house.

What possibly can be done to improve the situation with indoor air quality? The answer is a lot, but the action plan might look rather easy and achievable if put into several groups.

First, improve ventilation system. It must be properly installed and maintained. If you need an extra advice, get a consultation from the HVAC specialist. Think of using extra exhaust fans in some “potential problem” areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, or basements to get rid of contaminants that might be generated there.

Then, reduce the amount of combustion products, for instance, by installing special hoods above gas stoves, check furnaces and water heaters on a regular basis for them to operate properly. Do not smoke at home and try to stay away from warming up your car in a garage that is attached to your home.

As for room humidifiers and a/c, remember to use distilled water and change it daily. Use dehumidifiers in the rooms with increased humidity and control the indoor humidity level.

If all these things are done regularly and properly, you will not have to worry about indoor air and your health anymore.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/house-and-home/what-should-you-know-about-hvac/