Editor’s Note: This was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. See what else is cookin’ now at blog.rismedia.com:
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Achieving the ideal indoor environment involves managing quite a few elements within the home. In addition to keeping you and your family comfortable, the right indoor air system regulates circulation and can keep allergens, various pests and irritants away from you, your family and your guests.
Though many homeowners want to achieve the perfect home environment, short of living in a sterile lab, the perfect indoor environment doesn’t exist. Fortunately, there are a number of technologies available today that make it easy to achieve near perfect conditions that let you live in comfort.
What Does a Near Perfect Indoor Environment Involve?
When it comes to indoor environmental quality, there are a number of factors involved. Interior factors taken into consideration when constructing a home involve lighting, external sound or vibrations, and air quality and temperature.
Given these factors, what should homeowners ultimately expect? For one, lighting should provide the right balance of natural and artificial ambiance for desired tasks. Interior illumination has taken a major step forward by covering a wide spectrum of light ranges that work with the body’s natural daily rhythms.
Second, sound dampening insulation should not only minimize noise pollution from the outside; it should also include activities from adjacent rooms.
Finally, the central air conditioning unit should provide a level of air quality that is pure and free from harmful pollutants, toxicants and contaminants.
As homeowners and/or their family members spend most of their time at home, air quality becomes a necessity to a good home life.
The Importance of Air Quality
The importance of indoor air quality cannot be overstated, especially in the cases of people with allergies, asthma or other respiratory diseases. Poor indoor air quality can have significant negative effects on one’s health. Ozone and particulates can worsen respiratory conditions, trigger asthma attacks and cause allergic reactions.
Multiple studies reinforce the impact of air quality on health. The National Institutes for Health concluded significant causal relationships between dust mites and cat allergens and asthma, for example. A 2014 study by the World Health Organization reported 7 million premature deaths annually from poor air quality.
How Can Homeowners Improve Air Quality?
Fortunately, there are a number of appliances and technologies that can help to improve indoor environmental quality. Each of these can have a significant impact on air quality in your home.
Smart Thermostat: These programmable devices let you cool or heat your home remotely via a smartphone, tablet or desktop. These devices let you save energy and adjust the temperature while you are en route home from work, for example. Some models even can detect outdoor allergens and adjust accordingly.
Air Purifiers: By cleaning the air, a purifier helps to eliminate dust, pollen and bacteria, all of which can trigger allergies. When the purifier uses a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter, a purifier can dramatically improve air quality.
Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers: Dryer air can irritate nasal passages and the lungs while moist air can harbor bacteria and mold. Keeping the humidity levels regulated is important to keep the indoor air healthy.
By regulating your environment in the areas of sound, light and air, that near perfect indoor environment is now within reach of each and every homeowner.
Ashley Morse is manager of Operations at The Cooling Company, a provider of air conditioning, heating and plumbing repair services in the Las Vegas Valley.
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