When we think of air pollution, many of us picture billowing smokestacks or the exhaust from thousands of vehicles sitting in traffic.

We rarely think about the quality of the air inside our homes, but Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies suggest that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times — and occasionally more than 100 times — higher than outdoor levels!

Common indoor pollutants like biological contaminants (e.g., bacteria, viruses, animal dander, cat saliva, dust mites, cockroaches, and pollen), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), radon (RN), indoor particulate matter; and secondhand smoke have been linked to negative health outcomes ranging from allergies and asthma to lung cancer and heart disease.

The good news is that, when it comes to the quality of the air inside your home, you can take matters into your own hands. For that, the EPA suggests three basic strategies:

Source Control

Some sources of pollution, like asbestos, should just be eliminated. Others, like gas emanating from a gas stove, can be adjusted to reduce emissions.

Improved Ventilation

Increasing the amount of outdoor air inside your home by opening windows and doors, operating attic fans, or running a window unit with the vent control open will decrease the concentration of indoor air pollutants. Operating bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans will remove contaminants and increase the amount of outdoor air in that room. If you ‘re actively engaging in activities that generate high levels of pollutants, like painting, cooking, or sanding, you should take as many of these steps as possible.

Opening windows and doors to let “fresh air” in sounds great when it’s nice out, but it’s safe to say that Floridians, with our year-round summer, rely on our air conditioners more than our northern counterparts and most home heating and cooling systems, especially older systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house so the EPA’s third strategy, Air Cleaners, is of particular importance.

Air Cleaners

Bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms can enter your air conditioning system, leading to serious health issues, especially for people with certain pre-existing conditions. Unfortunately, standard air filters and electronic air cleaners are ineffective at stopping organic pollutants. If you truly want to breathe cleaner air inside your home, you simply can’t beat a whole-house air purification system.

All-Pro Electrical and Air Conditioning offers whole-house systems including ionization systems that proactively clean the air in your home or commercial building and systems that use activated carbon and germ-killing UV-C light to remove odors, chemicals, and biological contaminants.

Call 561-988-0460 and let our indoor air quality experts guide you towards the best solution for your needs.