People want to improve the quality of the food they eat and the water they drink, but how about the air they breathe?
Most people do care about the air they breathe but much of the focus is on the quality of air in the outside world. People sometimes forget about the quality of air in their home, but that’s just as important.
Indoor air quality research
Air quality research has produced some important data that help to define the impact of air quality on your home and your family:
- Respiratory Disease: Indoor air quality (IAQ) is important because over 3,000,000 have one of five serious respiratory diseases .
- Indoor vs Outdoor Air: Indoor air has 2-5 times as many chemical pollutants as outdoor air .
- Vulnerable groups: Everyone can be affected by IAQ, some more than others, particularly the young, the elderly, and the ill.
- Mould vs smoking: The effect of dampness and mould on the respiratory health of children is equal in power to that of parental smoking.
Air Quality Questions
If you want to know whether the air in your home may be affecting the breathing of your family, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does anyone in your household suffer from asthma, allergies, or respiratory problems?
- Do their symptoms appear to be worse when they are at home or in specific places at home?
- Has your home undergone significant changes such as the replacement of windows, a complete renovation of a basement, or an addition in the last few years?
- Do you notice excessive window condensation in winter or is your basement damp or musty in the summer?
- Do you feel the need to use air fresheners or scented candles on a regular basis to keep your home feeling fresh?
- Do you find that odours linger in your home from morning to evening?
- Do you notice stains, spotting, or dampness on walls or excessive dust on floors?
- Do visitors to your home suffer from allergic reactions?
- Do pets live in your home?
If you answered yes to more than 2 of these questions, then a trained and experienced HVAC professional can help you resolve the underlying issues that may be affecting the quality of air your family is breathing.
Usually, air quality in your home doesn’t come down to a single factor. Many factors tend to come into play. That’s why Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) members implement a holistic approach to home air quality that leaves you assured that all factors are considered when it comes to the quality of the air you’re breathing.
Contact us to see how Cross Heating and Air Conditioning can help improve the quality of air in your family’s home.