There are many ways to ensure that the air inside of your home is healthy, even in the greater metropolitan area of Los Angeles in Southern California. Of course, the first big challenge for this goal is to keep pollutants out of the home. This does no good, however, if you already have pollutants in your home.
How can you find out if there are pollutants in your home? Here are a few tips:
What are Biological Pollutants?
Biological pollutants either used to be living organisms, or they still are. They are in fact present in many homes, and can cause the air quality inside to be very poor. In extreme cases, when those inside the home continue to breathe this polluted air, they can become sick, causing them to miss school or work, and even end up at the doctor’s office or in a hospital. Some biological pollutants can even cause damage to your home and property. They are often unseen to the naked eye as they move through the air you breathe.
How Can I Find Out If My Home Has Biological Pollutants?
You can start by taking a tour of the home. Use your sense of smell to determine whether you may have pollutants. You can look for visible signs of biological pollutants as well. Two major factors support the growth of biological pollutants and help them thrive. These are continued moisture in stale air and nutrients. Any area that stays damp and has low airflow could be a breeding ground for biological pollutants. You can do some things, but others need a professional.
What Can I Do?
You can inspect any place that has poor circulation and dust from construction. You could also look over your air conditioning units for moisture on the surface or water stains nearby. Any time you are using a humidifier or dehumidifier, you should follow the directions exactly.
Check your carpets, crawlspaces, and other such spaces, and inspect your humidifiers and dehumidifiers. Biological pollutants can be found in dirty air conditioners, dirty humidifiers, dirty dehumidifiers, dirty heating systems, and attics with no ventilation. You will want to look closely at all of these, as well as sniff for any moldy or stale scents as you go. You should always maintain and clean all appliances that come in contact with water on a regular basis.
What Professionals Can Do
While there are a lot of places that you can inspect and things that you can do to prevent biological pollution in your home, there are some things that should be left to the professionals. For example, a professional should regularly inspect and clean all of your major appliances, such as furnaces, heat pumps, and central air conditioners. This is especially important at the beginning of each season before the unit is used.
The filters on all of these types of appliances should be changed often according to the directions supplied by the manufacturer of the appliance. These should generally be changed once a month, unless you live on a dirt road or place where there is more dust that normal. It is also a good idea to leave the home when turning on the heat or air unit for the first time each season. This gives the home time to air out.
A professional should clean and service window units and wall unit air conditioners regularly, especially when the season begins. While air conditioning systems are a great way to filter out allergy-causing pollen and pollutants, they can also be a source of biological pollutants if not properly taken care of.
Coils should be cleaned on air conditioner units, and the drain pans should be inclined according to the manufacturer’s directions. This helps to make sure that water will not collect and sit in or under the unit. Professionals should also clean and service furnace-attached humidifiers regularly, especially just before the season starts.
With proper maintenance and servicing of appliances such as air conditioners, furnaces, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers, your home can be pollutant-free. Finding and removing any existing biological pollutants, and preventing the growth of new pollutants, can keep the air you and your family breathes clean and fresh. This will help to keep your loved ones healthy and happy for years to come.