Is Your Heater Making You Sick?
Your home is a place of refuge from the world. A place where you should feel the safest. At Service Champions, we want your home to be the best place for you and everyone in your family. Unfortunately for some, their heater could be making them sick. When you you’re feeling discomfort in your own home, finding the root cause is more important than ever. Read more if you think your heater is making you sick.
Potential Symptoms
When it comes to keeping the air in your home clean and safe, one of the best places to start is with your HVAC system. Without proper cleaning and maintenance your HVAC system could be a lovely home for mold, bacteria, and other indoor air contaminates. Watch for these symptoms if you believe the symptoms are coming from inside the house:
- Sneezing and Coughing
- Unexplained Allergy Attacks
- Headaches
- Throat and Eye Problems
Have Your Ductwork Cleaned
All treated air in your home is distributed by a series of aluminum ducts that live in your attic, basement, and even in the walls. Just like every other part of your HVAC system, there will come a time when your ducts need maintenance.
Over time, airborne particles—including dust, dander, and other allergens—can find their way into your ducts. The same goes for mold spores. Even if you clean your furnace and air filter, debris in your ducts can still make you sick. Dust, dander, and even mold in your home’s ductwork could be the reason for a lingering cough or cold.
Consider a Humidifier
Dry air can cause a lot of annoying health issues. From random coughing fits to itchy skin—there are times when it can all be traced back to dry air. In Southern California, dry indoor air is primarily a winter phenomenon. Cold air holds less moisture than warm air. As a natural reaction to the ambient outdoor temperature, your indoor air can become dry as a desert during the winter season.
To combat overly dry winter air, we recommend a humidifier. There are a few humidifier options available to homeowners. You can choose to have one installed in your HVAC system, or opt for a portable one that adds moisture to smaller spaces. An HVAC technician can help guide you to the best option.
Open Some Windows
Fresh air is an asset many people forget about. We talk so much about purifiers and indoor air quality that sometimes we forget to remind homeowners how important outside air is to overall health. Even when you’re running heat treated air through your home, it’s essential to let some fresh air in.
All HVAC systems recycle air. When air is cycled too many times it can get stale; meaning it doesn’t have enough fresh oxygen to be beneficial. By incorporating some outdoor air into the mix, you can make sure the air in your home is fresh and full of oxygen.
Make the Switch to HEPA Filters
One of the best ways to elevate your indoor air quality is by making the switch to HEPA air filters. HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air and is a mechanical filter that can usually remove up to 99.9% of indoor air contaminates depending on the strength of the filter. Another bonus, switching to HEPA filters can help reduce the symptoms of allergies and asthma.
Think Your Heater is Making You Sick? We’re Here to Help
If you think your heater is the cause of any sickness in your home, don’t hesitate to call the HVAC experts at Service Champions. We are the only Diamond Certified plumbing and HVAC company serving Southern California. Schedule an appointment today if you live in our service areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, or San Bernardino county. Either call the number at the top of the screen or click here to book online.