Three indoor air pollutants contribute significantly to poor indoor air quality: mold, radon and carbon monoxide. Each one can cause illness. Let’s take a look and find out how to handle them:
Mold
Mold grows in damp conditions. In homes, mold often appears around water pipe leaks, condensation pools, or in rooms with high humidity. Some forms of mold can cause severe illness. Detection happens when people see the mold growing or smell it. To remove it, the surface needs to be scrubbed with an anti-mold cleaner such as ammonia. It’s important to fix the source of the moisture problem as well and remove any standing or collected water.
Radon
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that emits naturally from most soils, coming up through the foundation. Exposure to concentrated radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., right behind smoking. You can use a radon testing kit to see if your home has a problem. Treating radon involves collecting it in the crawl space or beneath the foundation and venting it out of the house.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that inhibits breathing and can be deadly. This gas appears when fuel does not combust completely and then isn’t vented properly in stoves, furnaces, water heaters and fireplaces. Carbon monoxide detectors find the problem. When CO is detected, it’s important to get everyone out of the structure and open up the windows to let fresh air in. It’s important to find the cause of the CO and fix it.
Taking actions is important when dealing with these indoor air pollutants. You can do some of this work yourself. However, bringing in professionals is the better answer. They can find problems quickly and recommend solutions that work.
For more information on indoor air quality or to help solve problems with interior pollutants, contact James Lane Air Conditioning & Plumbing Co. We have been serving the Witchita Falls and Vernon areas since 1957.
