Home is the one place you should always be able to feel safe, but there could easily be danger lurking in your Lake County, IN house. It’s called bad air as in unhealthy indoor air quality. In fact, health experts say indoor air is often much unhealthier than outside air.

How is that possible?

Despite great strides in the clean air movement, Merts Heating & Air Conditioning reminds you cars, trucks, buses, trains, and power plants can all contribute to outdoor air pollution. Eventually anything that’s polluting the outdoor air makes it indoors. Once inside those pollutants combine with a host of indoor contaminants like:

• Pet dander
• Dust mites
• Mold
• Volatile organic compounds (paints, stains, paint strippers, aerosol sprays)

The combination of outdoor and indoor pollutants means the year round level of allergens can be 10 to 100 times greater indoors than outdoors. It should come as no surprise this can create a whole series of problems.

Far reaching health effects

Health experts paint a scary picture of what exposure to indoor air pollution can do. 

• Coughing
• Breathing difficulties
• Sore throats
• Watery or itchy eyes
• Asthma attacks
• Headaches

These effects are made all the worse because of constant exposure. Between work and home most people spend 90% of their time indoors.

Best ways to fight back

Whether your home is in Northern Lake County, IN near Lake Michigan, or farther south closer to the Kankakee River, there are ways to improve your indoor air quality.

Ventilation:

When the weather allows, open some windows. This will exchange the air that’s in the home and lower the concentration of indoor air pollutants. NOTE: Do not do this if there are outdoor air quality warnings in effect.

Filtration:

Make sure HVAC filters are changed regularly. Depending on the type of filter this is usually every 30 to 90 days. If you live in a dusty location or have multiple pets the filters should be changed more often. Good quality filters will remove more pollutants from the air. Check with Merts if you have any questions about which filter is best for your heating & cooling systems.

Purification:

Filters are designed ONLY to trap particles, while air purifiers are able to kill some bacteria and viruses. They can do this using electrostatic technology, activated charcoal, or ultraviolet lights. Unlike filters, air purification systems are also capable of removing odors from the air.

Merts is here to help

Don’t take chances with the health and safety of your family. Call Merts Heating & Air Conditioning today to schedule a no-obligation appointment with one of our qualified home comfort specialists for a custom indoor air quality evaluation. He or she will explain the options so you can make the decision that is best for your Lake County, IN home.