Indoor Air Pollution

Presented by TP Mechanical | Provided by HORAN

The mention of air pollution often brings to mind images of city streets packed with cars or a pollen-laden spring breeze. However, indoor air pollution can be as much of a problem as outdoor pollution. A few sources of indoor air pollution include the following:

  • Tobacco smoke
  • Mold, pollen and pet dander
  • Radon and carbon monoxide
  • Household products such as cleaners, paint thinners and glue

The effects of indoor air pollution can range from mild discomfort to the development of diseases such as respiratory ailments and cancer. Young children, the elderly and those with asthma or allergies may suffer the most from poor air quality. Combat indoor air pollution with these strategies:

  • Open windows for a few minutes every day to allow in fresh air, even during winter.
  • Vacuum and mop the floor rather than sweep.
  • Don’t allow smoking indoors.
  • Test for radon and install a carbon monoxide detector.
  • Replace your plug-in air freshener and artificially scented cleaners with fragrance-free and naturally scented products.

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AT YOUR SERVICE: ALLERGY PREVENTION

Is allergy season wreaking havoc on your work force? 

The dreaded Allergy Season has arrived. Are you and your employees suffering from incessant sneezing, coughing and wheezing? Have you noticed a reduction in productivity due to sick days caused by secondary infections and fuzzy allergy-medicine-soaked brains?

Believe it or not, the air contaminants that cause allergies to flare are actually more prevalent indoors. It’s a common misconception that outside air is the culprit. In fact, the constant recirculation of inside air within a building causes microns and chemicals to build up and makes it difficult for the filtration system to keep the air clean. Studies suggest that 50% of illnesses are caused by polluted air – and have shown that air is 70% more polluted inside a building than outside.

Air trapped in a building and re-circulated is loaded with…

  • exhaust emissions that make their way into the building from surrounding traffic
  • fumes from common cleaners, paint on the walls or even your office furniture
  • dirt, dust and mites
  • mold spores from damp air

Even clean air that is overly dry can cause noses to bleed, sore throats and burning eyes.

Fidelity Howe Bldg. 021 in ColorThe key is to control indoor air quality, and TP Mechanical’s service team is well-versed in clean air methodology. As part of our preventative maintenance checklist, our team will prepare your system to keep your indoor air quality consistent and educate you about you how to maintain it in between check-ups.

We don’t keep secrets, so here’s the short list of our go-to methods:

  • It’s important to constantly flush the building with outdoor air. We recommend putting an economizer in place if your system doesn’t already have one. An economizer pulls in outdoor air on a regular basis and also controls the humidity of the building.
  • Not just any filter will do. We’ll teach you about MERV ratings on filters and the type of filter you need for your system to trap the most microbes most efficiently.
  • Monitor the chemicals used to clean your building, right down to what’s used to wipe off your desks and clean your carpets. We can recommend cleaners that are environmentally friendly and promote the best indoor air quality.

For more information, give our service team a call!  800/829-1989