Category Archives for "Eco-conscious"

HVAC Systems: Will Air Conditioners Make You Sick?

Getting an air conditioning system installed in your home can be a great way to improve indoor air quality. This is especially true if you live in an area of the country that has high outdoor pollution. For example, if every time you open your windows to let in some fresh air you are met with the smell of city smog and see all your soft furnishing covered in dirt, an air conditioning unit could be a great investment. Such a unit will allow you to bring fresh air into your property through a filtered system that cools and cleans the air before it is circulated around your home.

A portable air conditioning unit is great for those who live with people who smoke indoors as you can place the unit in a room to clean the air. Many units also have a dehumidifying setting which can be handy for those who need to dry wet clothes indoors without the risk of encouraging mold growth on the walls and ceilings.

The best air conditioning systems have both heating and cooling functions, which means they can be run year-round. The worse thing you can do to a complex air conditioning systems is to leave it switched off for long periods of time.

Will Air Conditioner Make You Sick?

Air conditioners are designed to improve the quality of the air inside a building, however, if they are not properly maintained or if the automatic settings are manually overridden, there is a chance they could make you sick. For example, if filters are not regularly maintained, dust, bacteria, pollution and mold partials can pass through and start to be circulated in the air. The ducking on some systems is susceptible to mold growth, which means regular cleaning is essential.

The automatic settings on most units will keep humidity levels at healthy, comfortable levels for humans. On some units, however, the manual setting can be overridden. This is to allow the unit to be used in buildings that are generally vacant, such as those used to grow certain types of indoor plants. However, if the humidity setting is manually overridden on a unit installed in a residential home, indoor air could become uncomfortably humid or dry. When humid levels are very low, viruses are more easily spread and lung tissue can be irritated.

Air Conditioner Servicing

Regular aircon servicing on your air conditioner unit is essential for maintaining it’s health and functioning. If you have a basic unit, it might be possible to change the filters and clean air vents and ducking yourself. With larger, more complex units, however, you are likely to need to hire the services of a qualified HVAC technician.

When it comes to basic units, if you opt to change the filters yourself, it’s important to ensure you buy your replacement filters from a reputable supplier. You should find out which filters are compatible with your model and ensure they meet high standards. You might find many cheap filters for sale on eBay, but many of these filters are not made to meet quality standards and may allow dangerous microbes and dust particles to past through and contaminate your whole unit. Don’t try to save money on filters.

If you have a larger air conditioning unit that requires servicing by a professional firm, it’s vital that you take time to shop around for an air conditioner service company. You want to hire a company that employs qualified HVAC technicians and that has many years of experience in the industry. That said, you also want to ensure you are not overpaying for maintenance services. Some companies vastly inflate service hire costs and by shopping around and comparing quotes, you could stand to save a lot of money.

The internet can be a great place to find the best HVAC companies in your local area. What’s more, by visiting a company’s website before you hire their services, you can find out a lot more about their background and experience and perhaps read some reviews from previous customers. You can also do a search for the company’s name on Google to ensure there are no negative reviews associated with the provider. Companies that provide poor quality work tend to go out of business much fastest these days as their reputation is visible to all on the web.

Indoor Air Quality Can Be Improved with Regular Air Conditioning Servicing

Did you know that indoor air can be more polluted than outside air? The reason is that bacteria, mold spores, dust, allergens, and debris can get inside from the air conditioning system. The ducts carry these particles into the air in a home or office and cause the air quality to be poor. Base on the advice from an aircon servicing Singapore company, there is something you can do about it. Get your air conditioner maintained and cleaned on a regular basis.

The Dangers of Polluted Indoor Air

When an air conditioner is not cleaned or serviced at least once or twice a year it can begin pumping dirt and allergens into the air you breathe indoors. The dangers of polluted indoor air range from allergies to asthma. Elderly people and infants are most susceptible to these pollutants and they can become very ill from the poor indoor air.

The bacteria that grows in ducts can also cause people to have more frequent illnesses. Colds and the flu are more common in homes and offices where bacteria grow. When the air conditioning ducts are not cleaned regularly, they allow bacteria to flourish and this gets pumped into the air that everyone breathes.

The dangers of breathing dirty air include more frequent illnesses and more severe allergies. Anyone who already has respiratory issues or asthma will experience more problems breathing because of the pollutants in the air.

Minor irritants in the air can also cause eye and throat problems. If you notice that people in your home or office are complaining about itchy, watery eyes or scratchy throats, it is time to get your air conditioning system inspected, cleaned and tuned up.

Get Clean Air and Peace of Mind

Regular maintenance service is affordable. Your local aircon service company will be happy to put you on a maintenance agreement that will allow your AC to be serviced twice a year. The appointments get scheduled for you ahead of time and you will be able to relax knowing that these maintenance visits are the key to keeping your indoor air free of pollutants.

Your system will be inspected, air filters will be changed out, the coils will be vacuumed and any potential problems will be corrected. Maintenance visits do more than improve your indoor air quality. They also help keep your air conditioner in good shape so that it runs more efficiently and is less likely to break down.

Trust the skilled air conditioner experts to provide your maintenance services a few times each year. They will help you reduce the number of repairs your aircon needs and this can save you lots of money over time. Your aircon will run better longer and this also saves you money.

As soon as your aircon maintenance or cleaning is complete, you will notice the difference. Every room in the house will smell fresh and clean. Your family will enjoy more comfort and experience fewer allergy issues. Your children will not have as many bouts of the cold or the flu and, if you have an elderly family member living with you, they will breathe more comfortably and be able to stay healthier.

Get your air conditioner on a regular maintenance program. Your indoor air quality will be cleaner and healthier to breathe. These maintenance visits will also reduce the number of repairs your system undergoes for the life of the unit.

Without regular maintenance, allergens and mold spores can get into the air inside. These problems can be avoided with regular maintenance appointments that are affordable and predictable. Talk to your aircon service about getting on a plan for service today for better indoor air tomorrow.

How Indoor Air Quality Is Important To Your Health And Some Solutions

For decades the US government and many local municipalities have endeavored to clean up the air we breathe outside. They’ve done a great job of it so far, but have a considerable ways to go to really get it clean. However, one often overlooked factor, is the poor indoor air quality that many of us face. When we are inside of our homes, many of the pollutants are trapped along with us and we end up breathing a concentrated mixture of various pollutants. Here are some of the worst offenders and how you can start eliminating the health threat.

Some Well Known Sources Of Indoor Pollutants

Of course, cigarettes are one of the most potent indoor pollutants known, if you have a smoker in your home, you already know. While at work and in most public places, smokers are required to go outside, in the cold, and kill themselves there. But at home, many defiant smokers resist the pressure and clog up the air with their cancerous fumes.

Wood stoves can also be a source of indoor pollutants and they are mostly unknown with very few studies. Plus, it depends on how well the stove was installed, how it’s maintained, and what kind of fuel is used in it. If you know someone that has one and their clothes smell of smoke, they probably don’t realize it, but they could be damaging their health while heating their home.

Cleaners, paints, perfumes, air fresheners, furniture polishes, and even deodorants can all be sources of poor indoor air quality. They should all be used only in well-ventilated areas, like with an exhaust fan, and mostly limited when possible.

Cooking Fumes And Odors Can Be Toxic

It can be hard to believe but the scientific results are clear, the fumes from cooking can contain many toxic compounds. Researchers have found that even the fumes from a gas stove alone create nitrogen dioxide at levels higher than what is allowed in the outside air in large cities.

In addition to what the stove itself generates, there are also many pollutants that result from the cooking of greases, proteins, and other ingredients in foods. Not only are there particulates but toxic gases as well. There is no way to know for sure exactly what is in each breath you take while cooking since there are so many different foods, methods of cooking, and amounts you could be inhaling.

For the kitchen, the best solution is proper ventilation from an overhead hood that runs the air to the outside. Some hoods only recirculate the air back into the kitchen and that isn’t sufficient for removing most indoor pollutants generated while cooking. The filters in range hoods are only meant to remove grease particles and not toxic gases or other harmful pollutants. A high-quality range hood with a strong exhaust fan is required for best results. It should remove 200 cfm according to the Home Ventilation Institute.

Ventilation Fans Are The Easiest Solution

For most indoor air quality health issues the first line of defence is the ventilation fan. You should have one in your bathroom to remove steam, hair sprays, deodorant sprays, perfume odours, and gases from strong cleaners used in the bathroom.

As noted above, the kitchen should have a strong ventilation system that should be used for all cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. It should also be used when running the dishwasher and using spray cleaners as well.

If you own a wood stove, make sure that it is of top quality, and has been EPA certified. This means that the Environmental Protection Agency says it meets the guidelines for indoor air quality for its date of manufacture. Then maintain your stove, and stovepipes, plus only use good quality fuel that has been seasoned. You should also consider running an exhaust fan to help keep the air clean.

Finally, there are indoor air filters you can buy that will run silently all day and night cleaning your indoor air. You’ll be surprised at how much gunk gets caught in the filter. When it comes to your health, breathing clean air indoors is of high priority.