Contaminated air can cause asthma symptoms to worsen. Fortunately, you can take steps to keep your indoor air clean and safe. Below, you’ll learn practical indoor air quality tips for asthmatics in Baltimore, MD.
Schedule Duct Cleaning and Sealing Services
Conditioned air from your HVAC system makes its way into your home through the ducts. If not properly installed, or just as a result of normal wear and tear, the ducts may develop openings. Those openings allow dust and debris to enter, which can contribute to asthma symptoms.
Also, if any biological growth makes its way into the ductwork, it can worsen respiratory problems. Dust, debris, and volatile organic compounds may start entering your living space and lowering your home’s indoor air quality.
Scheduling professional duct cleaning and sealing services can help decrease the likelihood of contaminants and close any openings. What’s the result? It’ll be even harder for pathogens to settle in your home. Sealing your ducts also helps prevent heated air from escaping, reducing the strain on your system’s components.
Invest in an Air Purifier
An air purifier uses a fan to draw in air from your living space. It then passes this air through a series of filters to remove contaminants. Some advanced air purifiers, such as the Air Knight® IPG Air Purification system, use bipolar ionization to make airborne particles stick together. This makes it easier for an air filter to catch them.
It also features a UV light, which destroys biological contaminants, to clean the air. Once the light makes the particles inert, your filtration system can remove them from your home’s air supply. Be sure to always keep it on, so your indoor air stays clean.
Consider a Ventilator
A ventilator replaces indoor air with fresh air from outside using several fans. One transfers the old indoor air outside, while the other fan brings in fresh air. To ensure the outdoor air does not introduce new issues, the ventilator passes the air through a filter to trap any contaminants.
An additional benefit is it helps ensure there’s very little heat loss during winter by stripping off heat from the outgoing air and relaying it to the incoming air. Therefore, your heating system doesn’t have to start heating the fresh air on its own. This helps to conserve energy and reduce strain on your equipment.
Change Your Air Filter
Your HVAC system uses an air filter that catches contaminants as the system draws in air for heating and cooling. These contaminants tend to accumulate over time, reducing the filter’s efficiency in trapping more particles. Make it a point to check your air filter once a month and replace it if it’s visibly dirty.
Always check the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERV) ratings when shopping for a new air filter. MERV ratings show a filter’s efficiency in catching pollutants. The lower the rating, the lower the efficiency.
A filter with a rating of 1-4 can only trap 20% of particles with a size of 3.0-10.0 microns. On the other hand, high-efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA) have a 99.97% success rate in trapping particles whose size is 0.3 microns, as the United States Environmental Protection Agency stipulates. HEPA filters shouldn’t generally be used in residential settings, as they can restrict airflow from your HVAC system.
Invest in a UV Lamp
An HVAC system extracts excess moisture in the air before sending it back into your house. The system then disposes of this moisture outdoors through the drain lines. If the lines become blocked, that moisture stagnates, creating an environment conducive to biological growth. The spores from this biological growth can trigger asthma attacks.
Stale air is no match for our team at Griffith Energy Services! Reach out today for A+ indoor air quality services. Our service technicians will introduce a solution that will restore indoor comfort and protect you and your family from harmful pollutants.
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