Category: indoor air quality

Spring Indoor Air Quality Tips

Ahhh . . . the welcomed change of season from winter to spring. Warmer spring temperatures mean a lot of outdoor activities and the beginning of the air conditioning season. It also brings the spring pollen season, as trees, flowers, and grass put on their glorious show. While we might love the display, people with asthma and allergies must be very careful.

Allergies can bring headaches, itchy eyes, running nose, coughing, and sneezing. As you might know, pollen follows you indoors, so it seems that the only relief comes at the end of pollen season. If you need to reduce the number of airborne irritants in your home, here are a few tips to help clean your indoor air.

Air pollution, whether indoors or outdoors, comes from many different sources. Dust, pollen, mold spores, secondhand smoke, and a host of other sources contribute to the problem. Eliminating the sources will be key to reducing the number of particles in the air.

Some particles are more hazardous than others; much of the hazard results from personal allergic reactions. We already mentioned pollen, but pet hair/dander, mold spores, and dust mites also are considered harmful allergens to humans. Neutralizing the harmful aspects of these allergens is the next important step to reducing the danger they pose.

Other particles, such as volatile organic compounds and cleanser fumes can pose a long-term health concern. After reducing the sources of allergens and their harmful aspects, removing the particles is the final solution.

Indoor Air Quality: Removing Particles at the Source

• There are several reasons to seal around doors and windows; keeping particles out of indoor spaces is yet another reason.
• Every time you enter the home, you carry particles in. A good practice is to remove shoes and outerwear (jackets and sweaters) immediately after entering to prevent spreading pollen and spores.
• Mold grows well in dark and moist spaces. Keeping relative humidity lower than 50% will hinder a mold infestation. That means using your shower exhaust fans for several minutes after a shower and using your air conditioner during summer humidity.

Indoor Air Quality: Reducing the Hazards

• The particles that present the greatest allergic reactions are organic in origin; they are still alive and the proteins they contain cause the allergies. Under the right circumstances, some of these organic particles will grow and produce more particles. Installing ultraviolet lights inside your ductwork will damage/burst the cell walls; the inert byproducts will collect on the air filter and can no longer grow.
• If you keep pets and have allergies to hair and dander, it is important to groom your pet to reduce the volume of hair.

Indoor Air Quality: Rid Your Home of the Particles

• Your HVAC system has an air filter, designed to remove airborne particles from your home forever. Change the filter regularly—at least every three months.
• Dust, vacuum, and mop regularly; change bedding and remove unnecessary dust collectors. Good old-fashioned house cleaning removes the particles that have fallen onto surfaces.
• Some dust will get around the air filter and get deposited in your duct network. Make sure to clean your ductwork every 3 to 5 years.

Indoor Air Quality: Removing Inorganic Particles

The two biggest sources of chemical particles from nonliving sources are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and household cleaners.

• VOCs are released by most manufactured products: the odor is the “new car” or “new carpet” smell. Materials, paints, and adhesives release large molecules and some of them are hazardous to our health. These products will release very small amounts of VOCs for the life of the product, but the first 30 days are the worst. Make sure to ventilate the spaces with possible VOCs like new furniture, paint, or flooring installations.
• Some cleansers also release hazardous chemicals, and the odor is often quite obnoxious. Oven cleaners or products with bleach or ammonia are contaminating the indoor air. Reach for more environmentally friendly cleaning solutions to improve the air quality in your home.

Let us help with your Indoor Air Quality questions!

Schedule your free Indoor Air Quality consultation by calling AllCool AC & Heating at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email.

Is Your HVAC System Pet Friendly and Provides Good Indoor Air Quality?

We Americans love our pets! Did you know there are approximately 140 million homes and approximately 148 million dogs and cats in the U.S.? For the most part, we take good care of our pets. However, our pets can put stress on the heating and cooling systems. Here are some things you can do to make pets and HVAC systems more compatible and provide good Indoor Air Quality.

Every day, family members lose hair and skin, the source of most of the dust in the home. Some pets shed less than others, but dogs and cats also contribute to the hair and dander in your home. These additional airborne particles move around, collect on surfaces, and get caught in the ventilation system in your home. This additional air pollution can irritate sinuses, trigger asthma or allergies, and cause respiratory problems.

The ventilation portion of your HVAC system, like human lungs, is designed to remove airborne particles and provide improved Indoor Air Quality. The number of airborne particles will need to be removed to reduce the threat of respiratory illnesses. The place to start is the air filter.

Air Filters

With every heating or cooling cycle, the filter is trapping dust and dander, preventing them from recirculating with the next cycle. When too many particles get trapped, the filter clogs and restricts airflow; the result is stress, as was mentioned earlier. Under normal circumstances, the recommendation is to change the filter every three months, but with shedding pets, you might need to change them more often—perhaps every 6 to 8 weeks.

The type of lifter can make a difference. Pleated filters have more surface area than regular flat filters. Filters are given a minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV rating. The rating measures the percentage of particles the filter can remove—higher numbers = more particles removed. A MERV rating between 8 and 11 will remove most hair and dander. Filters with electrostatic properties will also attract hair with ease.

Enhanced Household Cleaning

Does cleaning your house help your HVAC system? Certainly. All that dust, hair, and dander becomes airborne and then gravity takes over. Dust falls everywhere—on floors, furniture, and everything else. Carefully dusting, mopping, and vacuuming will remove a large amount of hair and dander before it gets to the air filter. Reducing clutter removes objects dust can cling to. Make sure to clean the supply vents on the floor and the cold air returns on the walls.

Clean Your Ductwork

Hair and dander that gets past your air filter collect inside of the supply and return ducts that network throughout the house. Since the amount of dust increases with pets, the amount that collects inside the ducts is also larger. Under normal conditions duct cleaning is recommended every 3 to 5 years; with pets, you should schedule a duct cleaning more often—say every three years.

Schedule HVAC Service

To ensure your entire system stays clean, it is important to complete preventative maintenance inspections regularly; an annual visit is recommended. Hair and dander that gets beyond the air filter can also enter the electrical control and the evaporator chamber. Dust decreases the energy efficiency of your system, so it is important to clean it away.

Speaking of schedules, remember your pet when you program your thermostat. A programmable or Smart thermostat is often used to save money by altering the temperature setting. While this might save some money, it will also put stress on pets.

Let us help with your Indoor Air Quality questions!

Schedule your free Indoor Air Quality consultation by calling AllCool AC & Heating at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email.

One of the changes that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic is a major interest in improving indoor air quality. If people were spending 90% of their time indoors, everyone would benefit from improved indoor air quality. If we face an unseen, airborne virus, how can we remove the virus to avoid the disease it causes? The sale of air quality monitoring and air cleaning technology has grown exponentially, up 800% since 2015.

Indoor Pollutant Sources. The building material of each home often contributes to indoor air quality. Older homes might contain harmful substances, such as asbestos or lead. Generally, these products are inert and do not become airborne unless disturbed during renovation. Newly manufactured items, including carpet and paint, release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), usually in the form of a gas.

Human activity also contributes pollutants to indoor air; just breathing adds CO₂. The skin and hair of family members and pets add dust and dander. Cooking, smoking, cleaning, and lighting candles add gases to the indoor mixture of air. If you cook, heat water, and heat the air with natural gas or propane, the combustion contributes CO to the pollutant level.

Outdoor Pollutant Sources. The airborne particles in outdoor air are much more dilute since they move around a lot. The level of pollutants varies according to location and season. Organic particles include pollen, mold and mildew spores, and mites—microscopic insects that feed on organic dust particles. Pests, including both rodent and insect varieties, can contribute to indoor air pollution.

Let’s be clear; every home will contain some of these pollutants, but no home will contain all of these pollutants. It is important to first determine which pollutant category(categories) is the most troublesome in your living space.

Steps to Cleaner Indoor Air

1 Monitor Indoor Air Quality.

Do you have an indoor air quality (IAQ) problem? What type of pollutants contributes the most? Monitoring the air quality is the only way to define any IAQ issues. Most indoor spaces already utilize some IAQ monitors; smoke and CO detectors are examples. Examples of further monitoring devices include:

• Single Pollutant Monitors. If a space is known or suspected of high concentrations of a particular pollutant, find a sensor that measures the known particulate and monitors its presence continuously.
• Multi-pollutant Monitors. These sensors measure the concentration of several pollutants at once. They can be set to monitor particulates by size—10 microns to 2.5 microns, as well as monitor the presence of gases—VOCs or formaldehyde for example.
• Monitors are available for both commercial and residential spaces.

2 Source Identification.

When a pollutant is identified, the next step is to find the source of the pollutant; does it originate from an outdoor or an indoor source? There might be a hidden problem that monitoring exposes.

3 Source control.

Identifying the pollutant type leads to finding steps to reduce or eliminate the source of the pollutant. If particulate size suggests a problem with pollen, possible sources include open windows, a leaky building envelope, or shoes/coats that carry pollen into a space.

IAQ Solutions. The type and concentration of pollutant determine the necessary step(s) needed to mitigate the situation.

• Air Filters. Filters remove airborne particles, but cannot remove gaseous pollutants. Filters are semi-permeable barriers, with small holes that let air through but capture other items. They are rated by the size of the hole by a MERV rating—the larger the MERV number the smaller the hole. The best air filters are high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, that capture 99% of solid airborne particles.

Consult with your HVAC technician to determine the appropriate filter for your system. Most residential HVAC systems cannot utilize HEPA filters. Filters will need to be changed periodically, often every three months.

• Ultraviolet Light(UV). When you are in direct sunlight it is in your best interest to apply sunblock to your skin. The UV light from the sun damages the cell walls of your exposed skin, a condition we call sunburn. The same principle is used by adding UV light to the HVAC ductwork; the light damages the cell walls of bacteria, viruses, pollen, mold spores, and dust mites. The inert cells are readily captured by the air filter or collected during vacuuming/dusting.
• Air Purifiers. Both small, portable, and large-scale air purifiers are available for any size of space. Air purifiers draw indoor air through a multi-phase filtration system, including an activated charcoal filter. Charcoal contains small pockets that attract, collect, and keep gaseous odors and pollutants. Often, these filters can be manually cleaned, so maintenance is required. Neither air filters nor UV light can remove gases from the air.
• Bipolar Ionization (BPI). BPI is installed inside the ductwork of an HVAC system. Ions are atoms or molecules that have at least one too many or one too few electrons compared to a more elemental form of the same substance. PBI creates both positive and negative oxygen molecules and releases them into an indoor space. The benefit is these ions readily attach to airborne particles and change their chemical formulas. Ions attach to VOCs and formaldehyde, creating inert organic compounds that become dust. They attach to organic material, such as bacteria and pollen, damaging cell walls. They also are attracted to other oxygen molecules, exchanging electrons and forming stable oxygen molecules.

Continuous follow-up air quality monitoring will help you keep apprised of the IAQ so that solution methods can be re-implemented in a timely manner.

Have questions about Indoor Air Quality? We can help!

Schedule your free Indoor Air Quality consultation by calling AllCool AC & Heating at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email.

How VOCs Affect Indoor Air Quality

An indoor air quality issue that is hard to grasp and even harder to mitigate is the presence of Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs. Some VOCs have known carcinogens. Many more have a negative effect on human health and well-being. Let’s uncover the Indoor Air Quality problems and some solutions.

What are VOCs?

Organic compounds include molecules that contain carbon. Life on earth is based on carbon, both flora, and fauna; organic compounds are related to or derived from living organisms. Volatile means that something will easily evaporate. Water is volatile, but not organic. Perfume is both volatile and organic, so is included in the list of VOCs. However, not all VOCs are as harmless to your Indoor Air Quality, such as perfume and cooking odor.

More harmful VOCs commonly found in your home result from:

• Off-gassing from manufactured materials, such as carpet and furniture. The fabric fibers’ finishes, and adhesives give off residual gases for many years.
• Common cleaners and disinfectants
• Insect repellants and herbicides
• Office equipment, such as markers and printer ink

Some VOCs are more serious than others; formaldehyde, for instance, is a known carcinogen and has off-gases from carpet and flooring for several years.

The Problem with VOCs and Your Indoor Air Quality

Volatile organic compounds can also be found in nature and not all VOCs are harmful. However, the problem arises in our homes when VOCs are concentrated indoors. We build our homes with products that off-gas, use cleaning products in our homes that are volatile, and close ourselves up inside for comfort and convenience. According to the EPA, the level of VOCs inside most homes is 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor air.

VOCs are at their highest concentration shortly after construction is completed; your house has a “new” smell, which is not very healthy. A major remodeling will also increase the level of VOCs. Perhaps your garage is a storage space for several compounds that are evaporating, and the VOCs enter your home every time the door opens.

VOCs tend to irritate tissue upon contact, but we rarely recognize the contact with the VOC gas, and our nose gets used to the odor. Potential health issues include:

• Unexplained headaches, loss of balance, or nausea
• Irritation of eyes, nose, and throat
• VOCs can trigger asthma attacks or allergic reactions
• In more serious cases, VOCs can damage the liver, and central nervous system, and cause cancer

Practical Steps to Reduce VOC exposure

Remember that we are surrounded by VOCs, both indoors and outdoors, so the goal is to reduce your exposure. Every building material, including unfinished wood, will produce VOCs. So here are a few steps toward reducing the concentration of VOCs in your home.

• Research products with fewer VOCs. When you remodel, paint, or replace the flooring, do a little research. When you choose common cleaners and disinfectants, find products that give off fewer VOCs. When you need to use an adhesive, paint, or furniture finish, buy only the amount needed for a project to avoid a half-empty can being stored in the basement for years. Remove unused portions of solvents and dispose of them properly.
• Open doors and windows regularly to reduce the concentration of VOCs inside your home. Turn off the HVAC (if necessary) and open up the house for 30 minutes or so. This vents the VOC outside and brings in the fresh air. Some homes have heat recovery air exchangers that bring in outside air for better ventilation without energy loss.
• Consider an air purifier with an activated charcoal filter. Regular air filters cannot capture odors or gases, but the activated charcoal portion of the filter has tiny openings that trap gases. Research the available air purifiers and choose the product that is right for you. Place the air purifier(s) strategically to remove VOCs in high concentrations or in bedrooms as family members sleep.
• Indoor Air Quality testing devices are available for home use if you are curious. If you suspect a problem or if family members have health issues that put them at greater risk, professional testing is available.

Have Indoor Air Quality Issues?

Schedule your Indoor Air Quality assessment by calling AllCool AC & Heating at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email.

How Cigarettes and Vaping Harm Your Indoor Air Quality

One of the results of an international pandemic is an increase in concern about indoor air quality (IAQ), especially as it relates to indoor spaces in multi-unit residential spaces. People are concerned about how the Indoor Air Quality of adjacent units might affect their units.

A telltale indicator is the odor of tobacco smoke in a non-smoking unit. If tobacco smoke is migrating between apartments, what other airborne particles (including viruses) might also be migrating?

The request for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) testing has increased tremendously over the last few years. ETS is an air quality test to determine the presence of indoor cigarette smoke; the greatest number of calls come from renters and condo owners, or from landlords of renters suspected of violating a no-smoking lease agreement. Why are people concerned with second-hand cigarette smoke?

• The smoke that results from burning tobacco contains at least 4,000 chemical substances. According to the EPA, at least 40 of these substances are known to cause cancer in humans and many more substances are known to be strong irritants. Second-hand smoke also includes the smoke released from the lungs of smokers after it has been inhaled.
• Second-hand smoke is a serious health issue (EPA). Approximately 3,000 nonsmokers die each year from lung cancer. “Passive smoking is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age annually, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year.”Second-hand smoke elevates the risk of asthma attacks in children with existing asthma conditions. “Between 200,000 and 1,000,000 asthmatic children have their condition made worse by exposure to secondhand smoke. Passive smoking may also cause thousands of non-asthmatic children to develop the condition each year.” EPA

ETS testing tests air samples for the presence of nicotine and other products that result from burning tobacco.

Mitigation of ETS

Landlords can determine their options when they discover the presence of tobacco smoke in no-smoking apartment units. Apartment or condo dwellers might consider measures to prevent the migration of smoke into their apartments.

• Each apartment should have independent HVAC ducts; the smoke should not be migrating between apartment or condo units through the HVAC vents.
• Examine electrical and plumbing penetrations between shared walls with other apartments; seal these penetrations to limit the amount of air migrating through openings. Don’t forget floor or ceiling penetrations.
• Create positive air pressure (bringing outside air into the apartment) and use exhaust fans sparingly. Exhaust fans pull air into the apartment as it removes existing air. This can pull air from the apartments with shared walls.

What about vaping or e-cigarettes?

One thing is clear—e-cigarettes do not produce the same number of chemical byproducts as regular cigarettes. But that is about all that is clear.

• E-cigarettes use a small electric charge to atomize nicotine instead of a flame and combustion.
• Various brands use different flavoring additives—no two brands are alike. Some brands use additives for different effects, including erectile dysfunction and weight loss drugs.
• The vapor that results from e-cigarette use contains chemical compounds, including carcinogens that are different from traditional cigarette smoke. Health professionals have been studying traditional cigarette smoke since 1920, measuring the various compounds and their effects on the human body. E-cigarettes were introduced in the mid-2000s; the measurement and study has only just begun.
• Currently, e-cigarette manufacturing is poorly regulated; the health effects of inhaling various additives are far from being known.

If you smell the flavored vapor from e-cigarettes, you should take the same measures as with traditional cigarettes.

Have Problems with Indoor Air Quality?

Schedule your upcoming Indoor Air Quality assessment appointment by calling AllCool AC & Heating at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email.

Fall and Winter Allergies and how to Maintain Indoor Air Quality

Most people associate seasonal allergies with Springtime pollen from trees and grasses, but many experience worse allergy symptoms in the Fall. When leaves and the temperature drops at the same time, Fall allergies trigger symptoms similar to Spring allergy symptoms:

• • – A runny nose and head congestion
  • – Itchy or watery eyes
  • – Wheezing or difficulty breathing
  • – Sneezing and coughing

We also associate cooler weather with an increase in common colds; you might have mistaken your allergy symptoms for the onset of a pesky cold. A couple of key differences between allergy and cold symptoms may help you distinguish between the two.

• • – A fever is quite common with a cold or flu but is not a symptom of allergies.
  • – If your symptoms persist longer than 10 days, it is a strong indication of allergy symptoms instead of a cold. Cold symptoms generally persist for 7 to 10 days.

With Fall allergies and reduced Indoor Air Quality, you may also experience:

• • – Severe congestion and a sore throat, as allergens irritate the linings of your nasal cavities and the back of your throat.
  • – Headache, also caused by the inflammation of nasal passages.
  • – Difficulty sleeping, as the inflamed sinuses swell and make breathing difficult. The lack of sleep may leave you exhausted, with less energy.

Indoor Air Quality: Fall Allergy Triggers

If you suspect Fall allergies instead of a cold, it is helpful to understand Fall triggers. As you might suspect, pollen from regional wildflowers that bloom in the Fall are a chief source of allergens. Some of the most common culprits include:

• • – Ragweed/Golden Rod
  • – Tumbleweed
  • – Sagebrush
  • – Lamb’s quarter
  • – Pigweed

Some wildflowers may bloom until temperatures drop to freezing or shorter days causes the plants to become dormant for the winter.

Another common allergen prevalent during the Fall is mold spores. Mold is a fungus essential to our ecosystem, since it breaks down organic matter, such as leaves, and reintroduces their chemicals into the environment, and can reduce Indoor Air Quality. Mold reproduces by releasing microscopic spores into the air, and spores can persist all Winter. Consider a pile of wet leaves along the tree line:

• • – While the leaves are wet and the weather is warm, mold reproduces and creates spores.
  • – Blustery, winding days will release the spores into the air.
  • – Raking the leave will also release spores.
  • – Every warm day will encourage mold growth and reproduction on wet surfaces.

Mold spores may be present throughout the Fall and Winter in South Texas.

The Keys to Maximizing Fall Indoor Air Quality—Clean, Clean, Clean

Pollen and mold spores will enter your home every time you open the door; they will also hitch a ride on anything you bring into the house, including your clothes, shoes, and skin.

Clean Your Home Regularly. During the heating season, we seal our homes up like a drum, trapping allergens inside with us. If you suffer from seasonal allergies:

• • – Vacuum carpets more frequently, dust surfaces, and mop floors.
  • – Bath pets frequently, weekly if possible to wash away dander and allergens trapped in their fur.
  • – Wash your clothes often, taking note of coats, gloves, and hats you might wear outside.

 Clean your HVAC system:

• • – Your furnace air filter is an essential barrier to recirculating airborne particles throughout the house. The filter should be changed at least every three months.
  • – Schedule annual preventative maintenance and cleaning of your furnace and air conditioner. An All Cool technician can remove dust from the interior portions of your HVAC system.

Need help with improving your Indoor Air Quality?

Let us know how we can help with improving your Indoor Air Quality, call AllCool AC & Heating at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email.