Low indoor air quality is linked to all sorts of maladies and health problems, ranging from headaches and nausea to chronic respiratory problems and even heart disease. If you’re remodeling your Portland-area home, or if you’re constructing a new house, take the time to educate yourself on tools and technologies for promoting clean, healthy indoor air.
Design features which improve indoor air quality include:
- Mechanical home ventilation systems – These systems use a network of circulation fans and ducts to draw clean, fresh outdoor air into your home and expel stale indoor air. They can also help improve your home’s energy efficiency, particularly during the summer months.
- Appliance vents, hoods and flues – All combustion appliances produce carbon monoxide gas as a byproduct of operation. You should ensure that all such appliances are outfitted with vents, hoods or flues which direct carbon monoxide gas to the exterior of your home.
- Seal foundations and drainage systems – These building features help you control hazards like mold spores, which can seriously compromise the quality of your indoor air while creating a potentially costly problem.
- Reduce radon gas – If you’re building new, talk to the builder about home features which can help lower or eliminate the introduction of potentially deadly radon gas to your home.
You can also use in-home products designed to maintain high levels of indoor air quality, including germicidal UV lights, air purifiers and quality furnace filters. Keeping your ducts clean and your HVAC system well-maintained also help promote a healthy indoor environment. Also, make sure you have radon gas and carbon monoxide detectors located throughout your home, and regularly test them to make sure they’re running properly. They are every bit as important as fire detectors to your family’s safety.
If you have any questions about indoor air quality, contact the pros at Roth Heating & Cooling. We’ve been serving homeowners in the Portland area since 1976, and we offer a wide range of affordable products and services designed to promote clean indoor air and boosted health for all your home’s occupants.
