Why Your Home's Air Quality is Important

May 23, 2016

You may constantly hear about new issues that should concern you and the rest of society. Don’t bring home products that isn’t BPA-free. Steer clear of the microwave. Only store your cooking in glass storage sets, not plastic.

Now your neighbors are talking to you about indoor air quality (or IAQ) in San Antonio. Don’t use harsh chemicals to sanitize your home. You need to invest in an air purification system. You should use essential oils instead of air fresheners.

The chatter never ends.

So you stop listening to all the noise and just do the best you can. We get it - why panic about one issue if you will have to constantly worry about everything else?

But, of anything, indoor air quality is absolutely an issue you should pay attention to, and here’s why.

It affects your health

We’ve told you how to fight sickness and stay healthy with indoor air quality; and, we’ve revealed how to Stop the Sneezes and help relieve the symptoms of allergies and asthma with recommendations to improve indoor air quality; we’ve even provided information about the APCO Whole-House Air Purifier to help keep your indoor air quality top notch. So now, we’ll put it bluntly: poor indoor air quality is going to result in poor health . We spend upwards of 90% of our life inside and with indoor air contaminants, including pet dander, dust, fibers, and virus-causing germs, floating around our homes, it’s crucial to have an air purification system that can clean our air and help destroy the germs that cause sickless.

It affects your home

Not only could bad air quality affect your lungs, it can also affect the workings of your home. Indoor air with increased levels of impurities hanging around is more taxing on your home’s HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system. Contaminants clog the elements of the blower system and the home’s air filters more quickly, causing your heating and AC system to work harder to keep your family comfortable. Your duct system can also become filthy faster, leaving you with inefficient airflow.

It affects your workplace

Multiple studies have proven that poor indoor air quality can have a substantial effect on workplace productivity. Not only can it aggravate the symptoms of allergies and asthma, but the pollutants released by copying machines, cleaning supplies, poorly maintained heating and AC equipment, and electrical equipment can cause headaches (even migraines), dripping eyes, and scratcy throats. While these symptoms may be short-lived, extended exposure to poor indoor air quality (and you’re probably spending at least 40 hours a week in the office) can result in skin inflammation, respiratory illness, and other chronic sicknesses. On the more drastic side, radon or asbestos sneaking in through cracked foundations or ceilings can result in cancer and other fatal ailments and an excessive concentration of carbon monoxide can result in sudden death.

So the next time you hear the phrase indoor air quality, listen intently because it could be critical for your health and for your home. If you don’t know if your home’s indoor air quality is healthy or struggling, call Aramendia Plumbing, Heating and Air for a free in-home analysis and we’ll confirm your indoor air quality levels and go over whole-home air cleaning options with you.