Factors affecting home air quality and comfort
• Temperature is a huge factor in home comfort. Drafts can result in creepy hot or cold spots that seem to come from nowhere. Temperature fluctuations can affect your sleep quality and cause headaches, sweating, shivering and bad moods. A poorly functioning air conditioner may not be able to keep up with the demands of hot Texas summers, so Austin residents are at significant risk of heat-related misery and higher-than-average energy bills.
• Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. Most people are comfortable with a relative humidity level of about 45%. When humidity is high, the air seems hotter and heavier. If it drops too low, symptoms like dry eyes and itchy skin appear. Extremely dry air results in high static electricity levels while excessive humidity encourages mold growth, which can lead to bad smells, structural damage and health problems.
• Ventilation is the exchange of stale air for fresh air. When indoor air circulation is poor, you’re forced to breathe a higher concentration of household dust, residual smoke and other contaminants. If you spend time in a poorly ventilated area, you’re more likely to catch airborne illnesses like colds or flu, and it’s harder to get rid of unpleasant cooking or bathroom odors. If the air around you isn’t moving, you’ll want to move yourself.
• Chemicals and other pollutants can create bad smells and threaten your health, especially when coupled with poor ventilation. Residual tobacco smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are associated with a number of health problems. VOCs are often released by paint, carpet, cleaning products, plastics and even electronics.
• Dust and allergens affect some people more than others. Seasonal allergy sufferers often struggle with plant pollens that manage to make their way indoors. Airborne pet dander is another major problem. Perhaps the most disturbing and inescapable organic air pollutant is common household dust. It’s actually made up of dead human skin cells and the dead bodies and feces of dust mites. You may never look at your dirty air filter the same way again.
Don’t Worry; You Can Fix It
Fortunately, all of the above factors can be corrected or modified. You don’t have to live with uncomfortable, unhealthy or smelly air. A great way to start taking charge of your home’s air quality is to obtain a professional evaluation of your HVAC system.
Breathe Easier With Help From ABC
At ABC Home & Commercial Services in Austin, we understand the value of a healthy, comfortable indoor environment. Our highly trained AC service specialists can conduct a comprehensive Home Comfort Analysis to help us optimize the air quality in your Austin home. After we pinpoint areas that need work, we’ll perform careful AC maintenance to ensure even temperatures and regulate humidity. We’ll also help you control or reduce dust, allergens and mold.