What does indoor air quality mean?
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality in your home, especially as it relates to your health and comfort.
What causes poor indoor air quality?
- Things you can see, smell, or touch such as pollen, dust, second-hand smoke, mold, pet hair and dander
- Things you can’t see or smell like carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide gases caused by improperly vented fuel-burning appliances such as gas furnaces, space heaters, wood stoves, gas stoves, water heaters, dryers and fireplaces.
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are chemicals that evaporate into the air and are found in paints, cleaning supplies, hair spray, pesticides, air fresheners and dry-cleaning clothing.
What are the effects on my family?
All of these pollutants can cause health problems such as sore eyes, burning in the nose and throat, headaches, fatigue, allergies, asthma, heart disease, cancer and other serious long-term conditions.
How can I make my indoor air quality better and help keep my family healthy?
- Reduce pollen, dust and dander by having your air ducts cleaned, installing an air purification system, and regularly changing your filters.
- Inspect fuel-burning appliances regularly for leaks and make repairs when necessary. Install a carbon monoxide alarm.
- Install a non-ozone generating air purification system in your HVAC system to wash the air you breathe, before you breathe it, and reduce mold, bacteria and harmful airborne particles.