Most homeowners know that they need a great heating and air conditioning system in order to maintain a comfortable environment within their homes. However, too many homeowners mistakenly believe that the quest for true comfort ends there. In fact, it is every bit as important that you maintain high indoor air quality in your home as it is that you keep the temperature within your home at a comfortable level. Not only does maintaining great indoor air quality protect your comfort, but it can protect your health as well. Many illnesses and respiratory issues, for instance, stem from the presence of biological pollutants. By destroying such pollutants with the use of UV germicidal lights in Capitol Hill, DC, you can reduce the risk of encountering such issues. Contact Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. to learn more.
Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Indoor Air Quality’
Improving Air Quality by Destroying Pollutants
Monday, September 28th, 2015Are You Using the Right Air Cleaner in Your Home?
Monday, August 31st, 2015Maintaining great indoor air quality in your home should be a top priority. Unfortunately, it is one that is overlooked in too many homes. While it is important that you are able to maintain comfortable temperatures within yoru home throughout the year, you really cannot afford to ignore the quality of the air that fills your home. That is why many homeowners wisely choose to utilize an air cleaner in Washington, DC. However, you must know for certain that you are using the right air cleaner for your needs if you are to boost the quality of the air in your home successfully. Work with us to guarantee that this is the case. When you are ready to schedule any air cleaner services, make Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. the company you call.
Why Add Humidity to the Air in My Home?
Monday, August 10th, 2015Heating your home effectively throughout the winter season and cooling it reliably during the summer are important goals to have. Comfortable temperatures alone, though, are not enough to ensure that you are able to live in the comprehensive comfort that we know you deserve. You must also surround yourself with air of the highest quality throughout your home. To do so, you may need to work with an indoor air quality specialist. There are a lot of ways in which your indoor air quality may suffer, and only a trained professional can ensure that you are able to turn things around effectively. Very dry air is a common problem, which is why whole-house humidifiers in Washington, DC are so popular. If you think that the air in your home is too dry, contact Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. to learn what you can do about it.
Are UV Germicidal Lights a Good Option for Me?
Monday, June 29th, 2015While some people may go into home ownership thinking that pollution is only a problem outdoors, they generally find before long that pollutants can be just as troublesome within their homes, if not more. There are a lot of different reasons as to why your indoor air quality may suffer, and poor indoor air quality may manifest in a number of different ways. The good news is that the IAQ specialists on our staff are here to ensure that your indoor air quality problems are resolved successfully. We do so by ensuring that the right equipment is put to use in your home. For biological pollutant destruction, UV germicidal lights in Washington, DC may be necessary. Schedule your IAQ services with the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.
3 Indicators That You Need an Air Cleaner
Monday, June 8th, 2015As important as it is that you are able to maintain comfortable temperatures throughout your home all year long, it is also important that you not underestimate the immense influence that the quality of the air in your home can have on your overall comfort. If you want to know for certain that you are breathing air of the highest quality, you may find that help is needed in your home. That is when you should contact the skilled indoor air quality technicians on our staff. Not only do our technicians have the skill and expertise necessary to install and service exceptional air cleaners in Washington, D.C., but they also have the knowledge necessary to ensure that you are using the right equipment in the first place. Contact Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., today if you are serious about boosting the quality of the air in your home.
Signs That You Need a Humidifier in Your Home
Monday, May 11th, 2015It would be great to know that you can just walk into your home and be met with the most comfortable, healthful environment possible. Of course, we know that this is not the case. Attaining and maintaining such an environment can take a considerable amount of work, and will likely require that you invest in certain products and services to ensure not only that your home is comfortable in terms of temperature, but also that the air quality therein is optimal.
A common problem that many homeowners face is a houseful of air that is simply to dry for comfort or for ideal health conditions. Fortunately, a whole-house humidifier is an effective and convenient way in which to resolve such problems. Contact Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., today if you suspect that you could benefit from the use of a humidifier in your Washington, DC, area home.
How Can I Tell if I Have an Indoor Air Quality Problem?
Monday, November 17th, 2014The average home has a multitude of microscopic contaminants floating around in the air. These contaminants can provoke allergic reactions, make you sick, and in rare cases even kill you. Due to the microscopic nature of most of these pollutants, they are mostly invisible to your senses. How, then, do you know if you have an indoor air quality problem? Let’s look at some of the most reliable ways to detect issues with air quality.
Health Symptoms
Poor air quality is an issue because of its effects on your health. Therefore, the first sign of bad air quality is usually an increase in health symptoms. If you have allergies, do you experience more symptoms at home than elsewhere? You may have a high pollen, dander, or dust count in your home. Do you get headaches suddenly, or feel dizzy or nauseous while in your home? You may have a carbon monoxide leak. Get out of your house and call emergency services immediately, as carbon monoxide poses a deadly threat to your health. No matter what, keep a close watch on your general health when inside your home. It is possible your symptoms are the result of poor air quality.
Detectors
As a response to the difficulty of detecting these pollutants unassisted, many detectors have been created to compensate. Radon and carbon monoxide are the most common kinds of detectors, and should be installed in several areas of your home. These two gases are perhaps the most dangerous of the common indoor air pollutants, so the use of these detectors might save your life.
Consult a Professional
The best way to measure the air quality in your home is to consult a professional. These expert technicians have the knowledge and the tools to accurately measure pollutant levels in your home, as well as the ability to recommend effective solutions. If you need to know for certain whether your home’s air is healthy to breathe, call a technician.
If you’d like to find out about the air quality in your home, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. We provide indoor air quality services throughout the Alexandria area.
How UV Germicidal Lights Help Indoor Air Quality
Friday, June 13th, 2014UV Germicidal lights are an upgrade to your heating and air conditioning system that helps keep your air clean. With one installed in your system, you can expect a significant upgrade in your indoor air quality, with all of the advantages that provides. In matters of indoor air quality, Alexandria has experts who can help install UV germicidal lights in your system. Here’s a quick breakdown of how UV germicidal lights help indoor air quality.
UV Germicidal Lights & Indoor Air Quality
As the title implies, the lights eliminate germs in the air rather than dirt. UV light lies beyond the range of human eyesight, but the particular wavelength proves lethal to bacteria and other kinds of germs. The wavelength damages the nucleic acid of those tiny organisms. As a result, bonds form in the organism’s DNA, which prevents the DNA from being “unzipped.” As a result, the bacteria can’t replicate and spread. In fact, when it tries to reproduce, it dies.
We don’t need to tell you how that can help your indoor air quality. No more bacteria means a severe reduction in the risk of colds, flus or other diseases. With it, you’ll find yourself becoming sick less often. Your air will be cleaner and your family will be healthier and safer as a result. This is especially true for people who are vulnerable to colds: those in delicate health and/or the elderly. If a baby is on the way or you have a newborn in your house, a UV germicidal light is a perfect way to keep him or her safe and free of colds or other sicknesses. Best of all, UV germicidal lights do all this without any toxic chemicals or compounds, making it an extremely safe way to eliminated germs.
UV germicidal lights help indoor air quality best when connected to a central air system: the perfect point to process the air that goes through your home.
If you want to use such a system to improve your indoor air quality, Alexandria has help with the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. We have the skills to install a UV light in your system with a minimum of fuss so give us a call today!
Washington D.C. Air Conditioning and Air Quality Issues
Monday, April 15th, 2013Air conditioning and air quality often go hand in hand, just like heat and humidity. In Washington D.C., we rely on our air conditioning to provide crisp, cool air so that when we come home after a long day, we can enjoy respite from the hot sun outside. Your air conditioner provides some dehumidification in the process, and its air filter does remove some of the pollutants that can find their way into your home living space, but in order to improve your total comfort, you need to ensure that your indoor air quality is high during the cooling season. In this post, we’d like to address this relation by recommending some ways you can improve both your air conditioning and your indoor air quality. For Washington D.C. air conditioning services, call the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning today!
- Air filtration: Your air conditioner’s air filter is designed to prevent dust and debris from ruining the mechanical parts of your air conditioning system. While this provides some air filtration for your indoor air, it is not designed to provide comprehensive air filtration, which may be necessary if your home suffers from contaminants and pollutants, such as pollen, dander, bacteria, and dust mites. Consult with an air filtration and air cleaner expert to see which whole-home option would be best for you.
- UV germicidal lights: Ultraviolet light destroys microorganisms before they enter your ductwork. UV germicidal lights are a relatively simple device, although they require professional installation to work correctly. They are installed directly into your air handler.
- Enroll in a maintenance program: Professional inspection, cleaning, and tune-ups are the best ways to keep your air conditioning working well and your air quality high. By enrolling in a preventive maintenance program, you are ensuring that your system is always working as efficiently and effectively as possible.
While our modern homes are energy efficient, they often prevent adequate ventilation. The EPA lists indoor air pollution as one of the top 5 environmental risks to our health. For Washington D.C. air conditioning and indoor air quality services, call the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning today!
Indoor Air Quality Guide: How Bad Is the Air in Your Home?
Monday, July 30th, 2012When Was Your Home Built?
Washington DC homes built in the last 10-15 years tend to be well ventilated and may even have air quality systems already in place. It’s those built in the late 1970s and early 1980s that tend to have the worst ventilation (assuming they have not been updated since then).
This kind of poor ventilation can be dangerous, but usually only in that you have less fresh air and more indoor allergens and contaminants. Specifically, you’re most likely to suffer from things like pet dander, dust, pollen, and dirt in the air. On their own, these are not dangerous, but without fresh air to circulate them outside and ensure you get a steady, clean supply of air to breathe, they can make you ill.
How Bad Can It Get?
While it’s rare, some homes suffer from more advanced contaminations. The most common is mold. Mold grows primarily in dark, damp spaces. If your humidity levels get too high in the summer, the ductwork in your house is perfect for mold and it will blow the spores directly into your air, putting everyone at risk.
You should also be wary of exhaust fumes from your appliances that may not get properly removed from the house. Both of these problems can be fixed with regular duct and exhaust cleaning.
Outdoor contaminants can also make it into your indoor air. Things like exhaust and smoke, gas, radon, or other outdoor pollutants should be tested for when you setup a new indoor air quality system. There are filters and purifiers that will remove almost all of these contaminants, but they are not always required, so you should check before making a decision.
Ultimately, the odds are that your Washington DC home suffers only from some stale, dusty air. But, it is very important to keep everything clean and test it regularly to make sure nothing worse develops. Call us today if you want to learn ways to improve your indoor air quality.