As the weather warms up here in Davis, Dixon, and Vacaville, California, pollen will soon be blanketing the outdoors. Unfortunately, however, seasonal allergies and asthma flare-ups don’t only occur outdoors—they can also affect you and your family inside your home.
So if you’re looking forward to spring, but dreading the usual itchy eyes and runny nose that come with it, it’s time to improve your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ).
Is It Allergies or Poor IAQ?
Poor indoor air quality can cause symptoms that are very similar to those caused by seasonal allergies, including:
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Sinus congestion
- Dizziness
- … and more
Poor residential indoor air quality can also worsen the effects of seasonal allergies, making it impossible to find relief inside or out. By investing in indoor air pollution solutions, you can improve your home’s air quality and create an escape where you can breathe clean, healthy air.
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Get yourself and your family ready to handle the change of weather this spring by reducing the effects of seasonal allergies and asthma with these simple improvements.
Clean or Replace Your HVAC Air Filters
Your heating system has been working throughout the winter to keep your home warm, and soon your air conditioner will be needed to keep you cool and comfortable through the summer. Both your home’s heating and air conditioning systems have air filters that block allergens, dust, and other pollutants from circulating throughout your home.
These filters can become clogged, however, eliminating their ability to trap irritating pollutants and affecting your home’s air quality. By cleaning or replacing your air filters at the start of the season, you can improve your indoor air quality and help your HVAC systems function more efficiently, too.
Schedule a Ductwork Inspection
Your duct system delivers conditioned air throughout your home, and if your ducts are dirty, you’ll be breathing in contaminants like dust, dirt, allergens, and even mold. Having your home’s ductwork and ventilation systems cleaned, inspected for leaks or cracks, and sealed can help prevent irritants from entering your breathing air.
Upgrade Your Insulation and Air Sealing
Most homes are full of tiny gaps and cracks, called air leaks, that allow outside air into your home, bringing pollen and other contaminants with it. That polluted air then travels through your insulation, filling it with dust and dirt. Outside air can also carry moisture into your home, which renders your insulation ineffective and can also lead to mold growth.
By replacing dirty insulation you can reduce the number of pollutants in your home, leading to healthier indoor air. And, by sealing up air leaks as well, you can stop polluted outdoor air from getting inside your home, allowing you to take control of your indoor air and keep it as clean and healthy as possible.
Spring Clean With Natural Products
With winter on its way out, you might be more inclined to start cleaning your home to make it feel fresh after the long, cold months. Many cleaning products, however, contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can linger in your home’s air for long periods of time.
Whether you realize it or not, you may be sensitive to some of the compounds found in household cleaning products. By cleaning with all-natural products, you can avoid having potentially harmful and irritating chemicals floating around in your home’s air.
An Energy Audit Is the Secret to Solving Your IAQ Issues
There are a lot of steps you can take to improve your Davis, Dixon, or Vacaville home’s indoor air quality, but if you don’t know where the problem is stemming from, you’ll be shooting in the dark. Greiner Heating and Air can help you get to the bottom of your IAQ problem with an energy audit, which will show us how outside air is getting into your home and uncover safety issues, like carbon monoxide leaks.
With the results of your energy audit in hand, we’ll be able to recommend targeted upgrades that will have the greatest impact on your home’s indoor air quality, so you won’t be wasting time or money on unnecessary improvements.
Breathe easy this spring with IAQ upgrades from Greiner Heating and Air. Call or contact us here to schedule an energy audit.
