What Are You Breathing?

Some of us can remember when winter gave way to spring; it was time for “Spring Cleaning.” This meant opening up the windows, disinfecting the floors, and washing all the blankets in the house. Our grandparents and great grandparents knew this practice made the house “more healthy.”

They just didn’t know that it was due to heating by the sun’s rays and the naturally occurring ozone and hydro peroxides found in the air that were able to kill and limit the growth of many harmful “germs” finding their way into our homes via people, food, and pets.

Today, we understand that once these “germs” get inside they can spread from person to person, from person to surface, and then back again. Many of these germs are then “caught” in the home. According to a World Health Organization report in 2003, about 40% of reported food-related outbreaks of infection in Europe occur in the home.

Since the advent of air conditioning systems, opening windows to let in fresh air is not as common of a practice as it once was. And, as these systems became more and more efficient due to the rising costs to operate them, the need to tighten up the leaks in our homes became a priority as well. With less fresh air getting into the house, air quality has become a big concern.

How Do I Maintain the Air Quality in My Home?

Here are a few things you should consider in order to assure the air quality in your home stays at a healthy level:

• A clean air filter will keep things like dust, pollen, pet hairs, etc. from recirculating throughout your home. This alone can help cut down on some common allergies.

• A clean duct system will also cut down on recirculating mold and dust throughout the home.

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• An air purification system is needed to take care of the things a clean filter cannot. Examples would be germs from sneezes, coughs, and surfaces such as pet toys, sponges and the kitchen sink

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Our team of technicians and comfort advisors at Bitter Heating and Air are trained to provide answers to these concerns and problems. We offer a full line of products and services designed to keep the air quality of your home healthy.