What’s Your Arbor Day IAQ…Indoor Air Quality

It’s Arbor Day and the perfect time to look at your Arbor Day IQ as well as your IAQ! Let’s start with learning more about Arbor Day. A little bit about the holiday’s history: We celebrate April 27th, an observance to celebrate the role of trees in our lives and promote tree planting and care. Arbor Day was first recognized as a holiday in 1872. However tree planting festivals have been recorded much earlier. The celebration of Arbor Day in the United States began in Nebraska City, Nebraska, where they wanted to encourage environmental stewardship and encourage everyone to set aside a specific day to plant trees. Now we’ve improved your Arbor Day IQ a smidge – let’s look at your Arbor Day IAQ. Arbor Day is the perfect time to look at all the ways we can go green. Of course, planting trees outside is the obvious move for your Arbor Day green-effort, and you can look inside your home for additional ways to improve the environment. Why good Indoor Air Quality Matters: The EPA refers to indoor air quality as air quality within and around buildings and structures, as it relates to the health and comfort of occupants. Indoor air quality affects comfort as well as short and long-term impact on health. Immediate and short-term effects of poor indoor air quality include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness and fatigue. Indoor air quality can also impact those with asthma, allergies or those with compromised immune systems. Check out 4 Ways You Can Improve Your Indoor Air Quality This Arbor Day:

1. Institute a no-smoking policy. Eliminating smoking is an impactful step to improving your indoor air quality. You may take a look at other chemicals introduced into your home’s environment such as adhesives, perfumes, cleansers, upholstered furniture foam and air fresheners.
2. Keep the humidity low. Your HVAC service provider can help you explore ways to monitor humidity levels to keep your indoor air quality at its best. From programmable thermostats to dehumidifiers there are many easy-to-implement measures to keep your humidity at optimal levels.
3. Add some foliage to your décor. Certain common houseplants are proven to improve indoor air quality. For example, the English Ivy, Peace Lily and Chrysanthemum all proactively improve the quality of your home’s air, literally cleaning it for you. In honor of Arbor Day or anytime, why not add some green to your home’s décor?
4. Service your HVAC system and have your ducts cleaned. Regular maintenance of your air conditioner or heat pump will ensure all components are clean, lubricated and free of dust and debris. Ventilation systems can accumulate a lot of contaminants over time, especially if you have pets, live in a high pollen area or have recently completed construction or renovations. Duct cleaning will look for any leaks in your ductwork as well, preventing energy loss and accidental transference of CO gas into your living environment.

Air Specialty is proud to be the leader in HVAC services in the Mobile area for over 25 years. We are dedicated to helping our customers enjoy the very best indoor air quality possible. We care about your health and safety so if improving your air quality is on your agenda this Arbor Day, call us! A member of our NATE-certified technician team will be happy to meet with you and assess your current HVAC systems, answer questions about media air cleaners, ultraviolet air purifiers and other products to improve your comfort levels. Have a family member with severe allergies, asthma, COPD or other respiratory ailments? If the health of a loved one would immediately benefit from an upgraded HVAC system and air quality improvements, Air Speciality works with a variety of lenders to help you finance a new system. Contact us today to get started.