Having dust around can make your home look untidy, but that’s not the biggest problem it can cause. Dust can lower your indoor air quality (IAQ), which makes the air in your home unhealthy. Find out more about how dust affects IAQ and how your HVAC system can help.
Dust and IAQ
Dust particles, along with other indoor allergens and pollutants, affect the air you breathe inside your home. These particles can settle on surfaces, such as furniture and carpeting, and build up over time. When you touch these surfaces, this stirs up dust and causes it to float around in the air. Breathing in dust particles can affect your respiratory system, especially if you have a dust mite allergy. This can end up causing sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, and other symptoms. If you have asthma, being exposed to a lot of dust on a regular basis can also trigger asthma attacks.
Your HVAC System and IAQ
The HVAC system in your home plays an important role in improving your indoor air quality. This system has an air filter that catches these particles and stops them from being distributed throughout your home when you have the heat or air conditioning running. This filter can reduce the amount of dust that is in your home, which helps make the air healthier to breathe.
In order to ensure that your HVAC filter is able to boost your IAQ, you’ll need to replace it every so often. These filters become covered with dust and other allergens over time, which can end up lowering the air quality inside your home. You should remove your HVAC filter and put a new one in every few months or more often if you have pets that shed fur and dander. Setting reminders can help you make sure that you won’t forget to check and change your air filter.
If you need additional help improving your indoor air quality at your home in the greater San Diego area, please contact Sherlock Plumbing, Heating and Air.