During the colder months, people in Highland Park, IL stay indoors and keep their doors and windows tightly shut to protect themselves from the cold. While this is necessary to create a comfortable living environment, it worsens the air quality in your home, making you and your family vulnerable to a wide range of health issues. One effective way to reduce air pollution in your home is to invest in an advanced indoor air quality system or device.
Indoor air quality technology is becoming increasingly advanced, allowing you to improve the air quality in your home with greater effect, convenience, and cost-savings. Here’s a look at some of the best air quality technologies that are currently available.
Importance of Good Indoor Air Quality
According to the EPA, indoor air quality is one of the top five environmental health risks in the U.S. In addition, it has been found that pollution levels are generally two to five times higher indoors compared to outdoors. Daily household activities can cause the air inside your home to be heavily polluted. Polluted air contains harmful particles such as bacteria, viruses, spores, dust mites, and allergens that can lead to many health problems, including:
- Cold symptoms such as runny nose
- Dry throat
- Fever
- Sinus congestion
- Nose bleed
- Allergy flare-ups
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- Lung cancer
- Heart disease
As such, it’s essential to minimize air pollution in your home. By keeping yourself and your family healthy, good indoor air quality can help save on medical costs and create a happier and livelier household.
Best Air Quality Technologies
Advancement in technology has resulted in the emergence of new indoor air quality systems and components that are more effective and energy-efficient. Some of these technologies include:
Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI)
Also known as an ultraviolet (UV) lamp, a UVGI cleaner uses short-wavelength radiation to cause damage to the genetic material in the cells of viruses, bacteria, allergens, and other harmful microorganisms. As a result, the cells will lose their ability to reproduce or die. The effectiveness of a UVGI system depends on a number of factors, including humidity, intensity of the UV light, duration of irradiation, and the target organisms.
A UVGI cleaner should be used with, but not as a substitute for, an air filtration system. It can help get rid of biological pollutants that are in the air or on HVAC surfaces such as drain pans, cooling coils, and ductwork. Besides helping reduce health risks, a UV lamp can also make your HVAC system more energy-efficient by keeping the cooling coils clean.
Energy Recovery Ventilator (EVG)
It’s especially beneficial to have an ERV if you live in a place where there’s a shortage of moisture during the cold season or the outdoor humidity level is high. This type of ventilator improves air quality inside your home by bringing in fresh air. In addition, it lowers the load and energy consumption on your HVAC system by recapturing the energy inside your home. Instead of being released to the outside, the energy is transferred across the ERV exchanger’s membrane to pre-cool or pre-heat and dehumidify or humidify incoming air.
Water-Saver Bypass Humidifier
Dry air in your home can have negative effects such as static, dry skin, sore throat, and irritated sinuses. The water-saver bypass humidifier is specially designed to increase the moisture level and air quality in your home while helping you save on energy costs. It uses less electricity because it relies on your furnace blower to deliver moisture vapor throughout your home. In addition, it lowers water consumption by making use of excess water instead of letting it drain away.
If you find that the level of air pollution in your home is high, you can use an air cleaner, air purifier, air humidifier, or ventilator to improve the air quality. A good indoor air quality system can help you minimize health problems and enhance the quality of life of your family. If you need advice on how to reduce indoor air pollution in Highland Park, IL, feel free to call us for a consultation.
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