The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded all of us that taking steps to protect your health (and the health of your loved ones) is crucial. One of the best ways to stay safe during this pandemic is to remain indoors whenever possible, which limits your odds of being exposed to the virus. Luckily, when your AC is working properly, staying home and remaining comfortable is relatively easy.
That said, it’s also important to understand that maintaining good indoor air quality is key to optimizing your wellness. The fact that you’re home doesn’t necessarily mean you’re as safe as you can be. Because your HVAC equipment can potentially boost your indoor air quality, you may want to schedule an inspection with a professional. They’ll take a closer look at your system to determine if any repairs or upgrades would help it improve your indoor air quality to a greater degree.
What You Need to Know During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Exposure to Contaminants
Viruses and similar biological contaminants can travel in many ways. That means there are also many ways you could be exposed to a contaminant that would make you sick.
For instance, although researchers are still learning about the various ways COVID-19 may spread, the CDC has already determined that exposure to respiratory droplets is one way a person may contract the virus. In other words, if someone in the vicinity has COVID-19 and sneezes, you may develop the illness as well, even if you don’t come into direct contact with them. Therefore, if someone with the virus were to sneeze in your home, their respiratory droplets could contaminate your indoor air. You might fall ill if you were to inhale them.
Keep in mind that COVID-19 is by no means the only virus you may need to worry about. Even when we’re not in the middle of a pandemic, keeping your indoor air as free of contaminants as possible is very important.
Exposure to Allergens
Even if you don’t contract COVID-19 or a similar illness, poor indoor air quality can still affect your health and comfort by exposing you to contaminants. For example, if there is bacteria in a section of your home, your HVAC system may distribute it throughout the house if it’s not equipped to guard against such problems.
This isn’t a minor issue. Exposure to allergens, such as bacteria, makes most people uncomfortable at the very least. Those who are genuinely allergic to these contaminants can experience truly severe reactions. This is another reason it’s important to coordinate with experts, making sure you’re doing everything you can to optimize your indoor air quality.
What You Can Do To Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
Don’t worry if you suspect your indoor air quality is harming your health. With help from HVAC experts, you can take critical steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. They include the following:
(Just remember that seeking medical attention is the most important step you can take if you believe you are truly ill. None of the information in this post should be mistaken for professional medical advice.)
Scheduling an Inspection
Ideally, your HVAC system will help you keep your indoor air free of contaminants and debris. However, if it’s old and/or hasn’t been serviced recently, it can have a negative effect. For instance, your dead skin cells might drift through your home and accumulate around a component such as an evaporator coil, creating an environment in which potentially harmful organic growth can thrive.
This is a good reason to schedule regular inspections of your AC. Experts can identify and address any problems that may be adversely affecting your indoor air quality.
Once again, it’s also worth noting that most of us need to stay indoors whenever we can during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, before the warm season arrives in Florida, it’s important to know your AC system is working properly. While we do offer 24/7 emergency AC repair service, ideally, you won’t need it. The last thing you want to experience when quarantining yourself is losing cool air on a warm day when you’re supposed to be staying indoors. That’s less likely to happen if you schedule an inspection ahead of time.
Making Upgrades
Scheduling an AC inspection also allows a professional to assess your system and determine if adding new features (or upgrading to a new system entirely) will help you further improve your indoor air quality.
To return to the example above, in some systems, organic growth may develop around the evaporator coils and related components. You can guard against this with an ultraviolet system. UV lights will help prevent bacteria from forming. They may also kill any contaminants in the air that pass through your coils, which is key to ensuring those contaminants don’t reach you or your loved ones.
Staying on Top of AC Maintenance
As always, maintaining and monitoring your system is one of the best ways to ensure it works properly. This will also help you put a stop to issues that may have a negative effect on your indoor air quality. For example, if you notice your system doesn't seem to be working as efficiently as it used to, you (with help from a professional) might discover that debris and contaminants have accumulated in your ductwork. This causes a blockage, and if not addressed, could negatively affect the quality of your indoor air.
Luckily, with Easy AC, proudly serving homeowners throughout the Tampa Bay area, you always have experts on your side to help you optimize your HVAC system (and indoor air quality). To make sure your AC system is keeping you healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, call us today at 813-COLDAIR and ask about scheduling an inspection.