4 Threats to Indoor Air Quality in El Cajon, CA

Maintaining proper indoor air quality in your El Cajon, CA home can make a difference in whether you develop a respiratory disease or live without one. With such significant health outcomes at stake, it's important to know about threats to IAQ.

1. Allergens

Pet hair, pet dander, dust mites, pollen and other allergens can be especially rough on those who have to contend with seasonal allergies. Any of these things can make it difficult to breathe, irritate nasal passageways or cause itchy and watery eyes. Of course, the severity of allergic reactions will vary from person to person, but even having things in the air at home that risk triggering allergies is an unnecessary risk.

2. Smoke

Smoke of all kinds is hazardous to your respiratory health and therefore constitutes a significant threat to IAQ at home. This includes both cigarette smoke and smoke that might come from a furnace or any other place at home where something might burn. You should therefore avoid smoking indoors for any reason and make sure to ventilate your home well if you have a traditional fireplace.

3. Biological Contaminants

Biological contaminants can accumulate on warm and damp surfaces and then release spores that float out into the air on breezes. If any of these contaminants get inside your HVAC system — which, unfortunately, can sometimes happen in your ductwork, evaporator coil or drain pan — the regular airflow your HVAC unit creates can then have unintended but deeply deleterious consequences for your IAQ. Preventing this from happening is but one of the many reasons why it's imperative to schedule regular maintenance on your HVAC system.

4. Toxic Gases

HVAC system malfunctions or other mishaps can cause all sorts of toxic gases to enter your home. Some of these include formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, radon, nitrogen dioxide and a host of different volatile organic compounds. Some of these gases are odorless; some of them are even fatal; and all of them are dangerous.

IAQ professionals can protect your home from these airborne threats and others. Call West Coast Heating, Air Conditioning and Solar today and request our IAQ services for your home in El Cajon, CA.

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