If you already understand the benefits of electrification for your home, you’re probably thinking about powering your home using healthy, clean electricity. But what about powering your lungs with clean, healthy air?
We battle many airborne pollutants here in California, from wildfire season to rush hour traffic. With all of these contaminants infiltrating our homes and our workspaces, the EPA estimates that indoor air is actually two to five times more contaminated than the air outside. So, how can we help improve your indoor air quality while also reducing your carbon footprint and electrifying your home?
A Wealth of Whole Home Health Knowledge
At All American Plumbing Heating & Air , we aren’t just experts in furnace replacement and finding the right mini split your home needs to do away with natural gas and other fossil fuels—we are the experts in whole home solutions that will decarbonize your home energy, while integrating the best in building science knowledge to keep your home well ventilated and your breathing air clean. There are multiple threats to your indoor air quality that can come from both inside and outside your home, and once they have entered your living space it can be hard to get them out without an active ventilation or filtration system.
Common Indoor Air Contaminants
You may be wondering, “What are the harmful particles me and my family could be breathing in?” When there are air leaks, or tiny cracks throughout a home, outside air will infiltrate freely, bringing smoke, allergens, dust, and other harmful particles inside. These particles then recirculate over and over in your heating and cooling system’s ductwork, and can cause you and your family to experience a number of allergy-like symptoms, including:
- Sinus irritation
- Coughing/sneezing
- Fatigue
- Trouble sleeping
- Frequent headaches
- Nausea
Other indoor air contaminants can include:
Carbon Monoxide
When your home utilizes combustion based appliances for heating and cooking, there will always be a risk of carbon monoxide exposure. This odorless gas is invisible to human senses, and can cause sickness (and death in extreme cases). By replacing your combustion appliances with induction stoves and an all electric heating system, you are removing that risk factor from your home.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
VOCs are gasses that are a byproduct of many common chemicals you would find in cleaning supplies or the materials that make up your furniture and parts of your home. Some of the most common sources of VOCs are:
- Household cleaning products
- Paints
- Wood preservatives in your building materials & furniture
- Office & school supplies
Pet Dander and Allergens
Even if you aren’t allergic to cats or dogs, excess pet dander can have an effect on your overall health and should be properly ventilated out of your breathing air. As mentioned above, outdoor allergens can find their way into your living space through the holes, cracks, and gaps in your home, or they can hitch a ride on your pets’ fur.
Accounting for Ventilation in Your Electrification
As All American Plumbing Heating & Air works with you to develop a plan for your electrification (at your own pace), we will be keeping the health of your home in mind. In addition to our electrification services, we also offer professional air sealing and insulation installation to decrease the air leaks and heat transfer in and out of your home. From there, we will make sure your home is outfitted with the right air filters and ventilation design to provide your home with a steady supply of fresh air, all year round.
Want to breathe easier in an all-electric home? Call All American Plumbing Heating & Air today at 209-710-5629 or get in touch here.
