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How is the air quality in your home really, and are your family members breathing in the cleanest air possible? If you are not sure, it may be time to consider a few ways to improve indoor air quality. A common question people have is, “Can plants help improve indoor air quality?”
Plants Have the Ability to Help in Many Cases
Indoor air quality is a concern because today’s homes are very well sealed off, which makes it hard for any airflow into and out of the home to occur. While that is a good thing for keeping your energy costs low, it is concerning that the air is simply recycled over and over again, and there is the risk of this leading to health issues. Plants can offer a bit of help to improve the quality of air inside your home to a certain degree.
Plants can help to improve the indoor environment because they help to remove some of the harmful and dangerous gasses that build up in enclosed places, such as formaldehyde and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). There is evidence that these types of chemical toxins can cause numerous health risks, especially in people who are at a higher risk, such as due to asthma or allergies. Plants help to work as a type of filter to remove some of that toxic gas from the air you breathe in.
In addition to this, there is some evidence that plants can also help reduce the risk of some types of fungal and bacterial infection spread, and it may help to reduce some other pollutants from the air you breathe. These are all great things, and it is easy to see that the addition of plants to a home can be a well-worth investment for various reasons. Yet, there are a number of limitations to this, and you may find that plants are not enough to make as big of an impression as you may need.
Indoor Plants Are Not the Perfect Solution
While some studies indicate plants help, most also note that the improvement they provide is significantly less than “noticeable,” meaning that it is hard to notice any real improvement when it comes to improving air quality with plants alone. The bottom line here is that plants are a great addition to the home environment, but they will not give you the clean air that is necessary for lung health. However, some alternatives can help.
How to Improve Air Quality in Your Home
Poor indoor air quality impacts health and can limit your overall well-being for years to come (impacting illness ratios, respiratory health, and even your mood). Considering all of this, it is critical to find ways to improve the quality of the air you breathe using substantial methods. That is, you want options that are worth the investment of your time and money to ensure a better result.
There are some simple things you can do to help boost air quality, such as not using VOCs in the home and ensuring that all of your heating and cooling systems are properly vented. You also want to ensure that you are letting outdoor air in every now and then to allow for a refreshing space. You should also keep your HVAC system’s air filters clean as that can help to remove a great deal of the pollutants in your home as well.
To find out how bad your home’s air quality is, it is wise to have a professional in to test it. What you may find is that there are some high levels of chemical risks or toxins present due to the building materials, chemicals used in the home, or the overall systems used within your home. If those are present, or you just want to have cleaner air, it may be time to improve the steps you are taking.
How an Indoor Air Cleaner Can Help You
Your home’s heating and cooling system pushes air through a filtration system before treating it and then sending it throughout the home, but that does not actually clean more than particles from the air. An air cleaner goes further, and depending on the type you select, you may find that this is one of the best ways to remove a substantial amount of material from your air, letting you breathe easier. An indoor air cleaner is a tool that improves what you are breathing in.
Air cleaners are a type of filtration system that simply pulls in air throughout your home, filters it through various types of high-quality filtration systems, and then sends it back out into your home. Some are ducted, meaning they move through your ductwork, while others are simply room or whole-home additions that stand on their own. You can choose the quality and grade that work for your needs.
If you decide to use an indoor air cleaner, be sure to work with an HVAC company that specializes in them, as that can help ensure you are getting a high-quality system that is right-sized for your home and your air needs. You also want to ensure it is set up to operate properly alongside your home’s heating and cooling system to provide the best results. Today’s systems are highly efficient and offer numerous benefits, including providing a very high level of air filtration and pollutant removal.
Let Our Team at Ambient Edge Offer the Solutions You Need Today
At Ambient Edge, we work closely with our clients to ensure that they have the improved air quality they need and their family deserves. Set up a free estimate with our team to discuss the options for investing in an air cleaner for your home or for help with your existing heating and cooling system’s function and efficiency. Our team is happy to answer all of your questions about how an indoor air quality system can enhance your home when you call us to schedule an appointment today.