Why Is Maintaining Good Indoor Air Quality So Important?

Why Is Maintaining Good Indoor Air Quality So Important?You wouldn’t drink polluted water, so why would you be willing to breathe polluted air? Perhaps you think by spending more time indoors, you’re protecting yourself from air pollution.

Think again – the EPA has stated that indoor air pollution is often two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Why does this matter? Find out by considering these five reasons why maintaining good indoor air quality is so important:

  • You inhale 15,000 quarts of air every day: Doctors suggest you drink two quarts of water daily to maintain good hydration. While this is certainly important, you breathe a much higher quantity of air. If the air you breathe is laden with pollutants, it can impact your health over time.
  • Homes are built tighter today than ever before: Because of concerns with energy efficiency, homes are built as airtight as possible to keep air infiltration rates low. This is good news for utility bills, but it doesn’t promote good indoor air quality. Pollutants generated indoors accumulate instead of dissipating through the gaps in your home’s exterior envelope.
  • Allergies, asthma and other conditions are linked to poor air quality: Breathing polluted air has been linked to lung cancer and heart problems.
  • Sources of pollution are all around you: The EPA states that both rural and urban homes are subject to poor air quality problems. Without some effort, you’re sure to come in contact with various pollutants from combustion appliances, cleaning products, building materials, dust mites, pets and other sources.
  • Children are more likely to develop severe allergies when exposed to poor indoor air quality: During the past several years, an increasing number of children and young adults have been diagnosed with severe allergies and asthma. These cases have been linked to poor indoor air quality.

All is not lost! You can take simple steps every day to promote good indoor air quality. For example, don’t smoke indoors, change your furnace filter regularly, install an air cleaner and run exhaust fans when you’re cooking and cleaning.

To learn more about the importance of maintaining good indoor air quality, please contact Overland Park Heating & Cooling, Inc. We’ve been serving the Greater Kansas City area since 1983.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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