Your home is a refuge from the stresses and problems of the world. Naturally, you want your time there to be as comfortable and pleasant as possible. Indoor air quality is an important aspect of your home environment. The air inside your home can have hidden irritants and pollutants that you cannot see but that can cause allergic reactions and other health issues. Common issues that can harm your indoor air will often increase in severity during the summer. Thankfully, there are many steps you can take to remove these contaminants and improve your air significantly. However, you should first identify what’s causing your indoor air to suffer.

1. Increases in Humidity Levels

During the summer, humidity levels will increase exponentially. The main reason behind this is that warmer air retains more water vapor than cold air. High levels of humidity can affect your comfort and health negatively. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that maintain a relative humidity level of under 60%. Furthermore, you should aim for a target range between 30% and 50%. Even cities like San Antonio will have elevated levels of humidity in the summer.

High humidity level causes physical discomfort because it interferes with your body’s normal response to heat, which is to sweat in order to cool the body. When the air is humid, sweat does not evaporate easily from the skin. The body will then perspire more as it tries to compensate for the lack of efficiency. This becomes physically uncomfortable and can lead to dehydration if you do not replenish your fluids.

A high humidity level can also promote the growth of biological compounds that can trigger allergic reactions in many people and harm the wood and paint in the home. Dust mites especially like a moist environment and will rapidly accumulate. A dehumidifier can help remove excess moisture from the air and bring the humidity levels down to where they need to be. Adding ultraviolet lights to kill these microbes will also help remove these harmful growths and bacteria from your home.

2. Higher Pollen Counts

Pollen is always a potential irritant in your indoor air in the spring. The pollen that becomes trapped in your home is actually a worse problem for allergy sufferers than the pollen outside. Today’s airtight homes are good at helping with energy efficiency, but the lack of circulating outside air will keep pollen, dust and other small particles increasing proportionately. Providing more efficient ventilation with a ventilator can often help, and you can add more and better air filters to trap the existing particles and prevent them from recirculating.

3. More Pet Hair and Dander

Your pets are part of your family, but they can be a common source of allergies because of their shedding hair and skin. Most dogs will shed more hair in the summer than at any other time, and you may have a hard time keeping your home free from pet dander. Utilizing an automated robotic vacuum that can be programmed to run several times a day will help remove the obvious pet hair, but adding better air filtration to your air system will remove the associated pet dander that is causing the real issues.

4. Buildup of Pollutants

Pollutants in your indoor air can be a problem at any time of the year, but they can potentially be an increased issue in the hotter summer months. This is due to your natural desire to keep your home sealed as much as possible to prevent the loss of cooled air from the home. These chemicals can leak from your paint, plastics, and other materials in the home and end up accumulating over time in your home. Providing better filtration, air purification and ventilation can help remove these harmful chemicals from your indoor air and promote a healthier environment.

MD Air Conditioning & Heating has been providing expert cooling service and heating repair services to San Antonio and the surrounding areas for many years. We’re locally owned and operated, and we live and work in the same communities you do. San Antonio is hot in the summer and can have frequent cold spells in the winter. At MD Air Conditioning & Heating, we understand the effects of the weather on your indoor air quality. Call us today for information on our indoor air quality consultations and other climate comfort services.

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