How To Stop Being Sick During The Holidays

Are you one of those who seem like they are on a schedule in terms of getting sick? Do you get colds, flu, or other health problems from October until Christmas, and even up to February? Does it seem like you just can’t figure out why this is happening to you? And the cycle continues one year after the other. So, let’s consider some things like for instance, when it is cold and damp outdoors, we spend most of our time indoors, right? A few individuals even try to make extra cash by staying inside the office and working more. Once the holidays arrive, many of us stay inside our houses, too. It seems like there is a pattern here – many of us are spending more time indoors during the last quarter of the year because of work, the weather, and the holidays. Could there be a link between staying indoors more and getting sick? Well, there is definitely a correlation. Several studies have shown that the indoor air in several homes is polluted with different kinds of bacteria, viruses, and mold spores that could result in asthma, allergies, flu, colds, as well as other major illnesses. So, it only makes sense that staying indoors more along with all the indoor air pollution can be the cause of your health problems during this time of the year. Fortunately, there are ways for you to combat this and finally get the chance to enjoy the holidays. According to the experts, a good percentage of the bacteria, viruses, and mold spores come from your heating ducts. They are circulated into your HVAC system and most of it is filtered by the unit. However, many of those tiny dust particles can still pass through the filter and out through the ducts. While the air blows through the ducts, the dust containing viruses and bacteria is released into the air, which is then circulated inside your house. This is one of the major causes of health problems during this time of the year. There things you can do to improve the quality of your indoor air. Many homeowners do not know that regularly maintaining their HVAC system can greatly improve their indoor air quality. You can upgrade your filters. Generally, HVAC filters have a MERV rating which shows the size of the particles they can trap. You can upgrade to a filter that has a higher MERV rating to improve the quality of your air indoors. If you have a family member who has an allergy, consider getting HEPA filters. It is also important to clean the filters and get rid of the dust and grime that may be clogging the Myrtle Beach HVAC system. If the filters are not replaced according to the unit specification, it will end up with a blockage and grime will accumulate in the unit and eventually be circulated with the indoor air. Duct cleaning is also important to avoid the buildup of dust and mold. You also need to replace the AC coils to make sure that your indoor air quality remains favorable.

Call Grand Strand Heating and Cooling for all your HVAC needs. Our team wishes you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Grand Strand Heating And Cooling Acme Contractors Myrtle Beach, SC 843-491-6400 http://hvacmyrtlebeach.com/

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Does Your HVAC Air Filters Help Preserve Indoor Air Quality?

According to many HVAC companies, your heat pump’s air filters are not sufficient to preserve and maintain high indoor air quality. This is primarily because the air filters remove only dust, dirt and other debris from the cold or warm air before blowing them out of your vents. If you live with a family member who suffers from allergies and asthma, it is extremely important that you know how to properly secure high air quality inside your home.

Why is indoor air quality important?

American homes naturally contain various types of air pollutants. These include pollen, dust mites, mold, and volatile organic compounds. These come inside your home through various means such as when you have spent a lot of time outside, pollens might stick to your clothing and be released inside your home when you finally remove your clothes. Volatile organic compounds or VOC, on the other hand, come from using certain household products. They are by-products of some of the products you use at home for cleaning and air sanitation. Other types of pollutants, such as dust mites and molds, often develop inside your home because of failure to clean regularly or due to some problems with your ventilation system. These air pollutants are small in size and could not be effectively filtered by your HVAC air filters. Thus, they continue to circulate throughout every room in your house as you use your heat pump. Although the air filters work effectively to remove dust, dirt and other debris inside your house, you will need to do a lot more than regularly changing or cleaning your air filters to ensure high-quality indoor air.

What do your HVAC air filters do?

The primary purpose of your air filters is to help protect your heat pump system from the negative effects of dust and debris accumulation. When dust and debris accumulate inside your heat pump system, particularly inside air vents and pipes, they will block the flow of air and cause your system to work harder to move the air throughout your house. And this causes strain in the system, which will eventually result in system failure if not resolved immediately. Air filters work effectively in removing large pieces of dirt that are carried by the air when it enters your heat pump system. These include lint, hair, dirt and other particles that could be easily seen by the naked eye. For an average individual, these can be bothering in a lot of ways. But for someone who has allergies and/or asthma, these are harmless since they are too big to be inhaled and trigger their allergies. Allergens, which are dangerous to people with allergies, are small enough to freely pass through the air filters.

What you can do

There are certain products that can help you improve the performance of your air filters.

• Air filters with high MERV rating – According to HVAC Myrtle Beach professionals, you can opt to use air filters with high minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating. This rating indicates the size of the particles that air filters can effectively trap. The higher the MERV rating the better the filter is in maintaining indoor air quality.

Before purchasing an air filter with the highest MERV rating, ensure that it is compatible with your heat pump system first. You must know that there are high MERV air filters that require pressure to operate, which may not be available in your current heating system.

• Electronic air purifier – If someone in your household suffers from severe allergy issues, you will need to invest in an electronic air purifier. Although this system can be expensive, it effectively does the job of removing all allergens inside the house. And the best thing about these systems is that it only requires a thorough cleaning at least once every year. There is no need for replacing air filters regularly, which only results in re-releasing the particles and allergens it has trapped; thereby, inducing a dangerous allergy attack. This system is highly recommended for households with severe allergies and issues with maintaining indoor air quality.

• Home test kits – To ensure there is no presence of dangerous gases inside your home, you can opt to use home test kits. You can also use carbon monoxide detectors to determine whether or not there is carbon monoxide, which is a potentially dangerous gas, present inside your house. You can also opt to hire a professional to conduct a thorough evaluation and assessment of your indoor air quality.

Aside from using these products, there are also things you can do to help improve and maintain high air quality inside your home.

1. Avoid bringing pollutants inside your home by using household products that are low in volatile organic compounds. These can be found in many household products including paint, cans of air fresheners, and cleaners.

2. If you are planning on a renovation, use building materials that do not have harmful chemicals.

3. Do not use cleaning materials that are toxic and pesticides inside the house. Carefully read each product’s label to ensure they are safe to be used by people with allergies and asthma before purchasing and bringing to your home.

4. Place indoor plants throughout the house. Choose plants that can absorb toxins to help in removing allergens inside the house. Indoor plants also help freshen the air inside the house. Some of the indoor plants that you can consider include English Ivy, peace lily and golden pothos. These plants also help decorate your home.

5. Work with certified and trained HVAC professionals to assess your present air quality and make some adjustments with your system to ensure it effectively filters out allergens from inside your home.

Maintaining indoor air quality is not only important for households with allergy sufferers. It is also important to help ensure ongoing good health for the entire family. Keep in mind that there are lots of diseases and health disorders that can be acquired from too much exposure to allergens and volatile organic compounds.

For more tips and information in effectively maintaining high-quality indoor air, call Grand Strand Heating And Cooling now and speak with one of their HVAC specialists.

Grand Strand Heating And Cooling Acme Contractors Myrtle Beach, SC 843-491-6400 http://www.hvacmyrtlebeach.com/

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