Indoor air quality is important. When we think about indoor airborne pollutants, we often think about greenhouse gas emissions, but what about the airborne pollutants more likely plaguing our home and office HVAC systems? We’re talking about the pet dander, the dust, the biological contaminants, the cigarette smoke, and anything else affecting the quality of the air inside your home or office.
Breathing clean, quality air is essential for sustaining and maintaining good health. A large number of Americans spend a substantial amount of their time indoors, which is especially true during South Florida’s sweltering hot summers. Whether in an office building, a home, or any other type of structure, there are several types of pollutants, chemicals, and gases that can cause a litany of symptoms. Bad indoor air quality can cause allergies, headaches, watery and irritated eyes, and fatigue. Even more concerning, long-time exposure to these pollutants can cause serious health complications such as various forms of cancer.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), maintaining a clean HVAC system in your home or office can prevent environmental health hazards like asthma, which affects approximately 25 million people each year, 7 million of which are children. That’s a lot!
So, how can you stay on top of the game? Save your breath! We’ve done all the work. The experts at Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric have put together this quiz to test your indoor air quality knowledge and to give you tips on how to better improve it.
If you have pets or allergies, you should be replacing your air filter every 20 to 45 days.
If you don't have pets or allergies, you should be replacing your air filter every 90 days.
If you live alone or have a vacation home that isn't used regularly, you should be replacing your air filter every 6 to 12 months.
According to the EPA, the recommended humidity level inside your living space should be between 30% to 50%.
According to the EPA, the most common biological contaminant found inside your home or living space is all the above.
According to the EPA, the most powerful biological contaminant found inside your home or living space are dust mites and mold.
According to the EPA, the main symptoms of health problems caused by biological pollutants in our homes are sneezing, watery eyes, dizziness, lethargy, and coughing.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, regularly cleaning your home's HVAC filter can reduce energy consumption by 15%.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, regularly changing your home's HVAC filter can save you approximately $12 to $25 each month.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy recommends HEPA filters more than any other because it effectively kills 99.97% of airborne contaminants.
Well, how’d you do? If you got eight or more of these questions right give yourself a pat on the back! You did better than half the people who took this quiz. You’re either an expert or you take indoor air quality seriously. If you missed more than two, hopefully, you learned something that you can utilize going forward. After all, you are what you breathe.
If you have more questions about your home or office’s indoor air quality or any issues related to your central air ventilation system, call the experts at Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric in Coral Springs at 1-800-475-1504; we’ve been servicing South Florida’s air conditioning systems since 1983. With over 20,000 five-star reviews, we’re the trusted choice!