(BPT) – While you may look forward to the sunny, warm days of summer, there’s another aspect of the season that’s not quite as fun: poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Depending on where in the country you live, you could face a number of hidden issues that impact the quality of the air you breathe in your own home.
The trusted home comfort experts at Lennox, a leader in reliable, efficient climate-control solutions, offer guidance on what you should worry about when it comes to your home’s air quality, and simple steps to put those worries to rest.
No Fresh Air? To maximize efficiency of air conditioning, homeowners often keep homes tightly sealed up, with no open windows all summer long. This lack of ventilation traps volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in homes. VOCs are gases emitted from various household products and include a number of chemicals, some of which may have negative health effects like eye, nose and throat irritation, dizziness, headaches, fatigue and more. VOCs are ten times as concentrated indoors, making them a key factor in your home’s air quality.
The No Worries Fix. To reduce the potential negative impacts of VOCs, you can open windows at night or during early morning hours to allow for better ventilation without inviting the day’s worst heat inside.
How can you know if your home has a high level of VOCs? Beyond experiencing symptoms at home such as those mentioned above, be aware of persistent odors from things like new paint, furniture or carpet. For a clearer picture of what’s in your indoor air, homeowners can reach out to a local Lennox dealer to perform an Indoor Air Quality test to help identify potential concerns.
To improve your home’s ventilation overall, consider a whole home ventilator. These units are your worry-free solution to delivering the fresh-air feeling you crave into your home.
Thoughtful ventilation solutions, like opening windows, can help bring in fresh air efficiently. Getty Images
Humidity? Many regions of the country are especially humid during the summer months, which can create problems for people with respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD, weakened immune systems or certain allergies. Because summer humidity can promote mold growth in homes, this can cause symptoms such as nasal congestion, coughing or eye irritation, to name a few.
The No Worries Fix. To improve humidity levels in your home, use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens to reduce moisture in the air. You’ll also want to fix leaks or seepage, preventing moisture from coming in from the ground by putting a plastic cover over dirt in crawlspaces, and bolstering landscaping so the ground slopes away from your home.
How can you tell if there’s too much humidity in your home? Look for window condensation or warped wood. You may also notice a musty smell, mold growth or weakened structural elements.
If your home could benefit from additional humidity control, you may want to invest in a reliable dehumidification system. Balanced humidity levels from a system like this can help make your home environment healthier and worry-free year-round, and can also save energy.
Window condensation can signify there is humidity in your home. Getty Images
Pollen? Spring coming to a close doesn’t mean your allergies get a break. Sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes are caused by pollen outside that invades your home. While tree pollen flares in the spring, summertime is when grass pollen is at its highest. It can be hard to avoid allergens in the summer, even when you’re indoors.
The No Worries Fix. To help keep pollen outside where it belongs, leave shoes at the door and then shower and change clothes immediately when you return home, especially if you’ve just spent time enjoying the great outdoors. Keep windows closed when the pollen count is high.
If you or a family member suffers from frequent allergies, choose a high-efficiency HEPA or MERVE 13+ HVAC filter, or upgrade to a whole-home purification system for a worry-free way to clean the air inside your home. Healthy Climate® air purification and filtration systems from Lennox are designed to work with your central heating and cooling system to improve the air quality throughout your entire home, not just individual rooms.
Family members who suffer from allergies can benefit from using a HEPA or MERVE 12+ filter. Getty Images
Not Sure if Your Indoor Air Quality Needs Help? No Worries!
You can take this online quiz to help determine what’s going on with the air in your home. Or contact your local Lennox dealer to perform an air quality check to assess your home’s levels of VOCs, humidity, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and more. Learn more about IAQ products Lennox offers at Lennox.com.
Lennox indoor air quality solutions are built for reliable performance, long-lasting durability and energy-efficient operation, helping create cleaner air with comfort that stands the test of time. Courtesy of Lennox
Main image caption: With warmer days ahead, poor indoor air quality can impact your home. Getty Images
