Breathe Easy With These Indoor Air Quality Pointers

When it comes to breathing troubles or general discomfort, poor indoor air quality has always been the unseen culprit. If you want to tackle indoor air issues in your Palm Beach home, all you have to do is take a look at these simple and effective pointers.

Increase Indoor Air Quality

• Know what’s in your air – What you can’t see or smell could hurt you in the long run, so it’s a good idea to have a professional complete an assessment of your home’s air quality. Radon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are two major pollutants that could cause trouble.
• Invest in better ventilation – Today’s homes are designed to be airtight in the name of energy efficiency, but it can also stymie air circulation. Your home needs fresh air for better indoor air quality and the way to do that is through better ventilation. For areas where moisture is most likely to congregate, like bathrooms and kitchens, exterior-venting exhaust fans are ideal for improved air circulation.
• Upgrade the air filter – Typical air filters found in most residential HVAC units block hair and large debris, but not much else. To block fine particles like dust, pet dander and even some bacteria and mold, you’ll want to step up to a better filter. Upgrading from a filter rated at MERV 4 to MERV 8 can vastly improve your home’s indoor air quality.
• Let nature do the work for you – Plants do more than just absorb carbon dioxide; they can also deal with the various toxins and contaminants floating around in your air. Plants like the Boston fern, English ivy and areca palm are great for cleaning up the air and beautifying a room.
• Consider an electronic air cleaner – Electronic air cleaners are capable of removing up to 30 times as much dust as an average air filter. Although they’re considerably more expensive than your typical air filter, they’re well worth  the added cost.

For help with your home’s indoor air quality, let the pros at Preferred Air Conditioning & Mechanical, LLC help.

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