How to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality In some cities, air pollution and smog create major health concerns. But the air inside of your home could contain more contaminates no matter where you live. Changing your living habits and investing in superior equipment will make major improvements to your indoor air quality.

Cleaning

If your home contains carpet, use a high-quality vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce household dust, pet dander, and chemicals. Experts recommend vacuuming at least two times a week. For homes without carpet, sweeping and mopping effectively captures dirt and pollutants. Dry microfiber mops successfully grab dust and allergens as well but don’t require any chemical cleaners. Putting extra care into your cleaning routine will not only improve the look of your home but also the air quality. Think of all the chemicals, fecal matter, and allergens that cling to your shoes or clothing when you enter a building. Taking your shoes off or using a large matt to wipe your shoes can help reduce pollutants as well.

Reducing Toxicity

One of the worst culprits of compromised indoor air quality is cigarette smoke. The smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals and can increase the risk of asthma, lung cancer, and stroke. Radon poses as another risk for lung cancer, especially in the Midwest where the gas concentrations are high. Radon gas comes from the natural decay of uranium in the ground and leaks through your home’s foundation. Call a professional if your house has not been tested for radon. Toxic particles can come from the products you use to clean, too. Fragrance and household chemicals emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). You can find VOCs in higher concentrations indoors, and they come with serious health risks. Reduce these chemicals by switching to natural or mild soaps or cleaners. Essential oils, vinegar, and baking soda can become effective DYI cleaners, too.

Air Support

Adding plants like dracaena, peace lilies, and spider plants improve indoor air quality and attractiveness inside your home. Air purifiers or air cleaners are even more effective at creating fresh and clean air. An air cleaner can capture 98% of airborne particles circulating through your home. We recommend these heating and cooling add-ons for people with asthma, allergies, or chronic illnesses. Depending on the MERV or HEPA rating, filters capture dust, pollen, mold, pet dander, pollutants, viruses and bacteria in the air. Dust mites and mold also thrive in moisture, so investing in an air exchanger or dehumidifier to use in the summer months will help as well. If your house smells musty or already shows signs of mold, you should invest in a dehumidifier.

Would you like better indoor air quality?
Contact WestAIR Heating and Cooling for more information on dehumidifiers and air cleaners.

 

 

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How to Reduce Indoor Humidity

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

How to Reduce Indoor Humidity In the Midwest, we feel the weather to the extremes – below zero and dry in the winter to 90+ degrees and humid in the summer. For those summer months, many of us cool our homes with some sort of air conditioning, but the humidity still sticks around the house. Extra moisture makes the air feel warmer and damages your walls, floors, furniture, and cabinets. You can effectively reduce indoor humidity with three different products, but which one will work best for you?

Portable Dehumidifier

These units plug into any room and are suitable for homes with poor air circulation or no ventilation. Spaces like the basement, kitchen, or bathroom become susceptible to mold. Dishwashers, dryers, and showers add extra heat and moisture to your home. Portable dehumidifiers are the smartest solution for rooms that smell of must or feel damp and stale.

Whole House Dehumidifier

This system works best for old houses that use ductwork for heating and cooling. Older houses are prone to leaks and mold. If you often find condensation on your walls or you’ve had problems with mold before, you should consider a whole house dehumidifier. If you or a family member has asthma or chronic respiratory issues, humidity can aggravate your symptoms. Install a whole house dehumidifier to reduce moisture and improve your health.

Air Exchanger

An air exchanger has two channels of air flow, ventilating your home with fresh, filtered air.  One channel pulls outside air into the home, while the other pushes stale air out. This exchange removes humid air or pollutants. The air exchanger works seamlessly with your heating & cooling equipment to improve air quality. If you own a newer home and want a constant supply of fresh air, consider adding an air exchanger to your HVAC system.

Contact WestAIR Heating and Cooling to learn more about reducing humidity, improving indoor air quality, and installing an air exchanger in your home.

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Air Duct Cleaning & Maintenance

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Air Duct Cleaning & Maintenance by WestAir Heating & Cooling

Clean air ducts help keep dirt, dust mites, and mold out of the air of your home. Turning on a contaminated or clogged heating and cooling system can cycle these potentially harmful particles into the air you breathe and decrease indoor air quality. How do you know if you need an air duct cleaning service?

Check with your local HVAC technician to find any visible mold or excessive dust and debris inside your ducts, or if there has been a recent infestation of rodents or insects.

Keep your ducts clean by practicing proper home habits.

• Change your furnace and air conditioner filters regularly.
• Check to make sure you use the right air filters that fit your equipment.
• Make sure your HVAC equipment is efficient and regularly maintained.
• Dust and vacuum your home regularly. Vacuuming can increase the amount of dust in the air, so it’s worth upgrading to a high efficiency (HEPA) vacuum cleaner.
• Seal off supply and return registers during home renovation or construction.
• Maintain your humidifier to prevent mold inside the home.
• Repair leaks and water damage promptly.
• Make sure ducts are sealed properly and insulated in attics and crawl spaces.
• Invest in an Aprilaire Air Cleaner to reduce the amount of dust circulating around your home. Air cleaners trap 98 percent of visible dust and irritating particles, and 97 percent of airborne pollen. Attached to your furnace, the filters remove matter through the blower fan and return clean air back into the rooms of your home.

Air duct cleaning is not an annual service, but might be needed after some time, especially if you have pets, smoke, sensitive allergies, respiratory needs, or live in a humid environment.

At WestAir Heating & Cooling, we use a specialized Rotobrush cleaning system to clean air duct systems. This “source removal” cleaning method utilizes powerful vacuums and brushes to dislodge any debris that stick to the surface.

If you think you might need your ducts cleaned or worry about your indoor air quality, contact us for more information.

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Breathe Easier with Indoor Air Quality Products

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Asthma is a lung disorder that makes breathing difficult for millions of Americans. There is no cure for the disease, but fortunately it can be managed in a variety of ways.

Many triggers inside your home can contribute to asthma flare-ups. An improperly maintained HVAC system carries pollutants like dust mites, pet dander, mold and pollen through ductwork, making it difficult for asthma and allergy sufferers to breathe.

Fortunately, there are several ways to improve indoor air quality. Scheduling a professional service cleaning through WestAIR Heating & Cooling helps remove built-up pollutants from inside air ducts, stopping them from blowing throughout the home.

Whole house Air Exchanger Ventilation Systems provide a healthier indoor environment by delivering a continuous flow of fresh, filtered outdoor air to the home. Recirculation provides constant flow of air to prevent stale air in your home for premium indoor air quality.

WestAIR also offers both electric and non-electric air cleaners that work to efficiently trap particles at the source, providing you a cleaner and healthier environment.

Give us a call at 763-498-8071 to learn more about the indoor air quality options available to you. We’ll have you breathing easier in no time!

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Four Simple Ways to Improve Air Quality

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

The quality of air we breathe inside our homes is important for comfort, but it’s also critical for maintaining good health. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Some diseases have even been linked to specific air contaminants or indoor environments, like asthma with dampness.

Here’s 4 simple ways to improve your home’s air quality:

Eliminate the Source of Allergens
Cleaning your home regularly reduces the amount of dust, pollen, mold and pet dander in the air. Frequent dusting and vacuuming removes particles trapped in carpets and on counter top surfaces.

Change Your Air Filter Regularly
Using a high efficiency air filter can remove harmful allergens and dust pollutants from the air in your home. Set a calendar reminder to change your air filter 30 to 60 days (for 1″ filter) or annually (for air cleaner filter).

Our WestAIR Heating & Cooling professionals can install an air cleaner in your home to trap floating particles and clean the existing air you breathe.

Get More Fresh Air
Not all home heating and air conditioning units allow fresh air to come in from the outdoors. Opening windows and doors when weather permits can help circular fresh, clean air indoors.

Installing a high quality air exchanger can also help to bring fresh, filtered outside air into your home.

Bring The Outdoors In
Houseplants like aloe vera, mums, bamboo palm, golden pothos, ficus, Chinese evergreen, peace lillies and even Gerber daisies help filter allergens and pollutants from the air. Consider keeping plants in areas of the home where toxins are the strongest such as the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room.

At WestAIR Heating & Cooling, we have the knowledge and experience to ensure you and your family are breathing healthy air into your home throughout every season. Give us a call at 763-498-8071 today to learn more.

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Suffering from Allergies? Try a whole house air purifier.

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Yay! Summer is right around the corner! Time for boating, camping, hiking, gardening, and…. allergies. If you suffer from allergies, you understand the misery it can bring on. Your home should be one place for you to find comfort and relief. But is it? Or are you still suffering from those pesky allergies even in the comfort of your living room?

Now is the time to try a whole house air purifier. AND WestAIR is running a special on installation!  A whole house air purifier can help to eliminate the dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and even bacteria from every room in your home, creating a clean, peaceful, allergy free environment. Ahhh….

Unlike portable units that just purify one room of your home, a whole house air purifier from Aprilaire is installed as part of  your home’s heating and cooling system, which allows the purifier to work in every room, creating a clean, fresh and safe place for you and your family all year long.

These air purifiers can not only help with relieving allergies, they can also help with asthma and other respiratory symptoms.This quote from the American Lung Association pretty much sums it up:

“Poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. In addition, it can cause headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue. People who already have respiratory diseases are at greater risk.” -American Lung Association 

Call WestAIR today at 763-498-8071 for your free consultation. And don’t forget to check our website for a $25 off coupon for installation of a whole house air purifier from Aprilaire. 

 

 

 

This entry was posted in Indoor Air Quality,Spring and tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Indoor Air Quality in the Twin Cities Area, MN

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Many people think that the air inside their home or workplace is cleaner than the air outside. However, in the majority of situations this is not the case. The air indoors at times is not as fresh as outdoor air and may be polluted with things such as dust mites, pet dander, mold, aerosols and bacteria. These such things may cause allergies, dry or runny nose, itchy eyes and throat or headaches.

It is important that we take the necessairy steps to be concerned with the quaility of the air that we breathe just as we are with the food that we put into our bodies. The best solution for indoor air quiality is proper ventilation which can be satisfied with an air exchanger from WestAIR. For more details and information please visit our website to read more on air exchangers.

Proudly delivering the “Quality Service you expect” for 25+ years. Contact WestAIR Heating and Cooling today for a free estimate (763)498-8071. Location: 11184 River Road NE Hanover, MN 55341

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Allergies and Air Cleaners

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

With spring here early and being chased away by summer weather, allergy season has jumped out sooner than expected. You may not realize it, but indoor air may be significantly more polluted than outdoor air. In this case of pollution due to pollen, dust, pet dander and mold. If anyone in your family suffers from allergies in the spring or even anytime of the year, ask yourself these questions…

  • Do I turn my thermostat to the ON position when cleaning such as vacuuming and/or dusting? (If not then next time remember this crucial step. This way the air will be circulated and cleaned through your systems filter)
  • When was the last time I replaced my air filter?
    (Standard filters should be changed every month, Air Cleaner filters once or twice a year. Call us or order a new one on our website under the Buy Filters tab)
  • Are any of the vents closed or blocked in my home? (If yes then this may be the cause of allergies from build up. Leave them open at all times, closed vents can also lead to compressor failure)
  • Do I have a High Efficiency Air Cleaner installed in my home? (If not, possibly consider the benefits and options, call for pricing and installation)
  • When was the last time my system had a tune up? (Recommended annually after the first three years in service. Now is the time to schedule)

Keeping you and your family healthy beginning with the air you breathe everyday! Proudly delivering the “Quality Service you expect” for 25+ years. Contact WestAIR Heating and Cooling today for service and free estimates (763)498-8071. Location: 11184 River Road NE Hanover, MN 55341

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