Breathing Easy: 6 Signs Your Home's Air Quality Needs Attention

Because we spend more of our time indoors than ever before, the quality of the air we breathe is an important issue. The air that enters our lungs must be clean and healthy, failing which we become prone to health risks that affect our security, comfort, and also our wallets. So what are the signs of poor indoor air quality we need to look out for? Here are 6 key signs that you need to take action to improve the air in your home.

1. Air Conditioning Inefficiency: If the HVAC system in your home is unable to maintain an even temperature or allows the indoors to become either too warm or too cold, it needs to be checked and its performance evaluated. Besides the tangible discomfort, an inefficient HVAC system may contribute to the increase in the level of pollutants and pathogens in the indoor air.
2. Uneven Temperatures: It is not uncommon to find that different parts of the house are warmer or colder than others. There are several reasons for this, including more air leaks in some parts of the home, more exposure to the sun or cold winds, etc. This can cause various health problems as people keep moving to different temperature areas.
3. Uncomfortable Humidity: If the air in the house is too dry, it can lead to an increased risk of infections, colds, sore eyes and skin and more. The indoor plants will also suffer and you may experience static electricity when touching metal objects in the house. If the air is too humid, the risk of fungus and mold growth in the interior of the structure increases and the risk that this poses to health is well known.
4. Dust: Even with the best of housekeeping, dust will collect and with it comes bacteria and dust mites, both of which cause allergies and diseases.
5. Odors: Every house has its distinctive scents and smells. If you have been in your home for a long time, they may be a part of the atmosphere that you are comfortable in. However, familiarity does breed contempt and over time it can be easy to overlook unpleasant odors or not notice how some parts of the home smell less pleasant than others.
6. Respiratory Problems: If coughs, colds, runny noses, asthma attacks and other respiratory conditions are common problems in your home, it could be because of the stale air that keeps circulating in your home exposing everyone to health risks. It is easy to ignore these passing problems and think that everyone suffers from them. But some of these early signs of respiratory ailments could, in the worst case, turn into serious health conditions such as lung disease.

It is clear that ensuring everyone in the house is breathing clean fresh air is important. Checking the functioning of the HVAC system to ensure it is running as it should is the first step. Then comes cleaning out the accumulated dust and dirt in the ducting. Taking extra precautions to keep the house dust-free is also very desirable. You could think of installing air purifiers and humidifiers to keep the air in the house healthy.

All these are good options to consider, but the starting point should be to think of ways to bring fresh clean outdoor air indoors. This one step will, in itself, solve many of the problems associated with bad indoor air quality. There is a simple way to achieve this and that is by using specially designed ventilation fans. There are various types of fans you can consider.

• Attic Fans: The attic acts like a trap for heat, stale air and all kinds of pollutants. An attic fan will keep it clean and fresh and while doing so, reduce the heat that radiates from the attic in summer, thereby reducing the air conditioning load.
• Whole House Fans: These fans push old stale impure air out of the house so that clean fresh air can enter via the windows. The whole house will remain cleaner and fresher and so become a healthier place in which to live. Because the fans improve the indoor air circulation they will not have an adverse impact on the air conditioning load.
• Garage Fans: Whether you use your garage to park your cars or have converted it into a man cave, entertainment room, gym or anything else, this is a part of the home where ventilation is often not given its due importance. Installing a garage fan will keep the area clean and fresh.

The leader in fan technology and manufacture is Solatube. Contact Sunlight Concepts, the company’s Premier Dealer for the San Francisco Bay Area and ask for a free consultation to learn what you need to know about using fans to keep your home clean, fresh and healthy. Solar powered fans that do not add to your power consumption and may be eligible for tax credits are also available. To learn more about home ventilation, tax credits and to get answers to all your questions contact Sunlight Concepts.