Three Pollutants Homeowners Should Monitor For

The air quality in your Oklahoma home is important. Any number of pollutants could be hanging around waiting to cause trouble. Among the most concerning pollutants that homeowners should worry about are radon, carbon monoxide and mold.

Radon: This odorless, colorless gas naturally rises from soil and bedrock. It makes its way into the home through cracked floors, dirt floors and poorly sealed basements. High levels of this gas can increase a person's chance of developing lung cancer. Radon detectors can be found at most hardware stores and are the only way to test for the presence of radon in your home. You can prevent the buildup of radon in your home by properly sealing windows, doors and any cracks in the basement and foundation of your home.  Luckily for the Tulsa area, this is not a common pollutant we are faced with.

Carbon Monoxide: Also called CO, carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas. CO is generated by the fuel-burning process, such as gas stoves, furnaces and water heaters. Over-exposure to the gas can cause CO to build up in the blood stream, resulting in headaches, nausea, dizziness and even death. The only way to detect CO in your home is with a carbon monoxide detector. Avoid high levels of CO by properly ventilating your home. You should also only use approved heaters and furnaces to heat your home. If you believe there are high levels of CO in your home leave the house and call local professionals.

Mold: Mold is a biological pollutant that grows in damp conditions. These conditions can be caused by high humidity, leaking pipes or a high condensation rate. Mold can cause an array of heath problems, from simple eye irritation to life threatening allergic reactions. Signs of mold growth include a musty smell and discoloration of floors, walls or ceilings. You can remove small growths of mold through aggressive cleaning. The best way to control mold growth is through proper ventilation, not allowing wet conditions to prevail in the home and by the use of ultraviolet light irradiation technology in the HVAC system.

To find out more about common air pollutants and other HVAC information contact Air Assurance, serving the Broken Arrow area for more than 20 years.

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Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Consider UV Lights Alongside HVAC Equipment

Research has shown that indoor air can be up to 100 times more polluted than the air found outdoors. Considering that people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, inferior indoor air quality can present a major health threat. Adding ultraviolet (UV) lights to a heating and cooling system can be an excellent way to combat poor air quality and increase the comfort level in homes and other buildings.UV light air-purification systems clean indoor air by eliminating harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, germs, mold and other allergens. As these health-threatening microorganisms travel through the UV light, their molecular bonds are broken down and their harmful effects are destroyed.The Lancet (a world-renowned medical journal) conducted a study that explored the effectiveness of UV light systems. The study placed ultraviolet light purification systems in a number of different office buildings and evaluated the health of people who worked in the buildings over the course of a year.At the end of the year, it was determined that the sickness level of the workers was lowered by 20 percent. They also saw  a 60 percent drop in respiratory problems. Additionally, the UV lights assisted in reducing the amount of muscle-related problems by half. The study also concluded that nonsmokers and the workers who suffered from allergies benefited the most from the UV light purification systems.If your home's air quality is less than optimal, you should consider adding a UV light purification system to your home comfort equipment. As research has shown, UV lights can work exceptionally well with a heating and cooling system to improve indoor air quality.If you determine that a UV light system is right for you, ask for expert assistance in finding the unit that would work the best. The professional technicians at Air Assurance are trained to help you in choosing the proper heating and cooling equipment for your home, and in cleaning up indoor air. Contact us today for further information. We're always happy to help.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.