You may constantly be told about new subjects that should bother you and the rest of society. Don’t bring home merchandise that has BPA. Don’t use the microwave. Only keep your leftovers in glass containers, not plastic.
Now your neighbors are telling you about indoor air quality (or IAQ) in Calgary. You can’t use harsh chemicals to sanitize your home. You need to invest in an air purification system. You have to use essential oils and not air fresheners.
And on and on it goes.
So you start to turn a deaf ear to all the noise and just try and live your life. We get it - why stress about one issue if you will have to constantly worry about everything else?
But, of everything, indoor air quality is definitely a point you should think about, and here’s why.
It affects your health
We’ve outlined how to fight sickness and stay healthy with indoor air quality; and, we’ve revealed how to Stop the Sneezes and help alleviate the symptoms of allergies and asthma with recommendations to improve indoor air quality; we’ve even introduced you to the APCO Whole-House Air Purifier to help keep your indoor air quality top notch. So now, we’re just going to say it: poor indoor air quality is going to result in poor health . We spend around 90% of our life inside and with indoor air pollutants, including pet dander, dust, fibers, and virus-causing germs, lurking around our homes, it’s crucial to have an air purification system that can clean our air and help fight the germs that cause diseases.
It affects your home
Not only can poor air quality affect your lungs it can also affect the workings of your home. Indoor air with elevated levels of pollutants floating around is more taxing on your home’s HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system. Pollutants clog the components of the blower system and the home’s air filters faster, causing your HVAC system to work harder to keep your family comfortable. Your duct system can also become filthy more quickly, resulting in inefficient airflow.
It affects your workplace
Several studies have proven that poor indoor air quality can have a very real effect on workplace productivity. Not only can it aggravate the symptoms of allergies and asthma, but the pollution released by copying machines, cleaning supplies, poorly maintained heating and AC equipment, and electrical equipment can cause headaches (even migraines), tearing eyes, and irritated throats. While these symptoms may be short-lived, prolonged exposure to poor indoor air quality (after all, you do spend at least 40 hours a week at the office) can result in skin irritations, respiratory issues, and other chronic sicknesses. On the more extreme side, radon or asbestos sneaking in through cracked foundations or ceilings can actually cause cancer and other deadly diseases and a high concentration of carbon monoxide can lead to sudden death.
So the next time you hear the phrase indoor air quality, listen intently because it could be critical for your health and for your home. If you aren’t sure if your home’s indoor air quality is good or bad, call A1 Chesney Service Experts for a no-charge in-home analysis and we’ll verify your indoor air quality levels and share whole-home air cleaning plans with you.