In Need Of An Indoor Air Quality Inspection?
May 9, 2023
In Need Of An Indoor Air Quality Inspection?
Baton Rouge homeowners with allergies routinely experience watery eyes, sneezing, a runny nose, and a sore throat every spring. However, with poor indoor air quality (IAQ), you might suffer from allergies all year long. Contaminated indoor air can cause other disagreeable symptoms as well.
Toxic substances like asbestos, lead, heavy metal, pesticides, radon, and formaldehyde are common indoor air pollutants. Nonetheless, poor indoor air quality can be caused by apparently harmless products like scented candles.
Scented Candles
Many scented candles contain a petroleum byproduct called paraffin-a. It releases airborne contaminants like toluene, benzene, and formaldehyde into your living space. If you burn scented candles often, soot can collect on your walls and eventually cause ductwork problems. Candles made of beeswax and soy are a nontoxic alternative.
Household Cleaning Agents
Household cleaners can be extremely toxic. They're designed to attack tough dirt. They can cause breathing problems and trigger asthma attacks. Products containing flammable or toxic ingredients like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) should be avoided. Tried-and-true ingredients like baking soda, bleach, ammonia, and vinegar cost less and work just as well.
Air Fresheners
Instead of refreshing smelly air, these devices try to cover it up. They contain VOCs, and VOCs can cause headaches, burning in your eyes, and irritation in your nose and throat. Long-term exposure can cause neurological disorders, respiratory conditions, and chronic migraines.
Dirty HVAC Equipment
Heating and cooling systems that are poorly maintained accumulate contaminants and spew them out whenever the system turns on. Black mold is especially toxic, and it's hard to get rid of. If ignored, it will escalate and take over your HVAC system.
Are you having symptoms of poor IAQ? One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Baton Rouge offers professional HVAC services including indoor air quality inspections and HVAC maintenance.