Did you know that Australians spend 90% of their time indoors? The massive heat experienced in the summer, along with brush fires and bitter winters, lead to indoor air quality problems that cannot be ignored. It is deeply unhealthy to live in a home or work in a facility that does not take indoor air quality seriously.
Bad air that is recirculated into the building over and over again makes matters worse. Homeowners or employees might suffer from asthma, a persistent shortness of breath, and redness around the eyes. Some people will have a sore throat most of the time, and more will have a runny or irritated nose.
Improving indoor air quality should be a priority for all homeowners or business owners. Use these tips to learn more about improving your indoor air quality so that you do not fall victim to dirty air that is constantly flowing through your vents.
Going through this process also helps keep microbes, dust, dirt, and germs that are floating around outside from entering the building. Even if they do, these issues will be resolved by a powerful system that keeps your indoor air as clean as possible.
Should I Run My Air Conditioner if the Air Quality Outside is Poor?
You can run your AC unit even if the air quality outside is terrible. In many cases, you do not need to worry about outdoor air quality because the system is recycling air inside the building instead of using outdoor air. While you may not know the difference, you can easily turn to an HVAC expert and ask them for advice.
Your air conditioning system has two main components: an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The system itself is a complicated network that uses refrigerant gas, converts it to a liquid, and lets a fan blow the resulting chill through the vents. All the heat that is created in the process is pushed outside by the outdoor condenser. If you turn on the heat, everything happens in reverse.
Because the unit does need to pull in air to create the proper temperature inside the building or home, everything runs that air through filters so that it can be cleaned. This is why it is recommended that you replace your air filters every few months for safety’s sake.
For example, the ActronAir Serena Series 2 has an self clean mode. When the indoor unit cleans itself with a four-stage cycle that minimises the build-up of dust and mould growth. The innovative technology washes away the dust, mould, and grease that may cause odours when it adheres to the evaporator by automatically freezing and then rapidly thawing the frost.
Serene comes with a High Density Filter included as standard, shown to remove up to 80% of dust and pollen in the air.
You can also control the humidity in the house because the humidity is often worse than the heat you experience in the spring and summer. Some buildings grow mould, and homes are damaged because condensation starts to form in locations that you simply cannot see. You might even experience an uptick in radon gas emissions that can be controlled by keeping the humidity down.
If you need help, there is a “how-to” video that walks you through the process of changing your air filters and even choosing the right type for your home or facility.
Fresh Air Never Hurt Anyone
If the air is fresh outside, turn off the air conditioning and open the windows. If you are not sure if the air will be clean, you should check government forecasts first. Close the windows and turn on the AC when the air quality outside worsens. You are not solving your problem by opening the windows, but you are letting out stale air that has been trapped in the house.
Your House Must be Clean
Any allergens you allow to live in your house get sucked through the vents and into the AC system. Yes, your filters can clean the air, but they become less effective if your house isn’t clean. You might also have mould on the walls and in hidden corners or dust in the carpets. These allergens remain until you clean them.
Indoor Plants Create Their Own Ecosystem
Indoor plants can recycle air and keep the house smelling fresh. Plants such as the Peace Lily, Spider Plant, or Devil’s Ivy would be perfect to grow inside the house. These plants would be fried by the heat of the summer, and they would die in the cold of winter. Keeping them in the house improves oxygen levels, which can improve your energy levels, help prevent illness, and improve the prognosis for someone with a condition like asthma.
Address Indoor Air Quality Today
By inviting a professional technician from ActronAir into your home to help with indoor air quality, you are taking an important step toward keeping the air inside the house as fresh as possible.