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The Most Common Types of Indoor Air Pollutants & How to Get Rid of Them

September 12, 2023 by Dan Horsch

It’s easy to overlook the quality of the air we’re surrounded by within the boundaries of our Highland, IL home. Unknown to many, these indoor spaces can harbor many pollutants that silently weaken our health and well-being. At Morrison Plumbing, we understand the significance of maintaining ideal indoor air quality. That’s precisely why we’ve taken the initiative to gather insights into the most common indoor air pollutants. We aim to empower you with practical strategies that guarantee the air you inhale is refreshing and pure.

Dust and Allergens

Dust and allergens are at the top of the list of common indoor air pollutants. Dust mites, your furry friend’s dander, and those pesky pollen particles all find their way inside your home, wreaking havoc on your comfort and triggering your allergies, leading to watery eyes and endless sneezing fits, or worse, asthma flare-ups. Tackling this issue starts with cleaning and regular vacuuming, especially in your pets’ spaces. Round up that stubborn dust and dander to visibly cut down allergen levels. You can also introduce air purifiers into the mix; they’re like invisible shields that trap these dust and dander particles, leaving your air refreshingly crisp and pure.

Mold and Mildew

Mold and mildew find their ideal environment in damp, poorly ventilated spaces within your home. They thrive in such conditions, creating more issues than one might expect. The presence of mold can lead to respiratory problems and various other health-related worries. If you wish to lessen the risk of mold and mildew growth, it’s essential to monitor humidity levels diligently and promptly address any sneaky leaks that might emerge. Effective ventilation also plays a critical role in steering clear of mold-related problems—specifically, areas like bathrooms and basements, which often suffer from inadequate ventilation. Ensuring proper ventilation in these spaces is key. By following these steps, you can contribute to maintaining a healthier indoor living environment.

Highland, IL resident vacuuming up dirt, dust, and pet hair to minimize indoor air pollutants.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde, an often-overlooked indoor pollutant, is frequently present in our homes. It hides in various sources like building materials, furniture, and even certain fabrics. Shockingly, formaldehyde can harbor flame retardants that have been associated with chronic health issues. Protecting your well-being starts with mindful choices and opting for natural materials whenever feasible. Furthermore, maintaining proper ventilation is crucial, especially in newly constructed or renovated spaces. By prioritizing good airflow, you actively reduce formaldehyde levels, contributing to a healthier living environment for you and your loved ones. Your home should be a safe place, and these steps help ensure it remains free from such hidden threats.

Tobacco Smoke

Exposure to secondhand smoke introduces a complex blend of detrimental chemicals, posing significant health risks for both smokers and non-smokers alike. These harmful smoke particles have the capacity to disperse and linger indefinitely within the surrounding air. Protecting against the hazards of secondhand smoke requires the establishment of an indoor smoke-free policy, promoting the practice of smoking outdoors among smokers, and using air purifiers equipped with effective filters to expel these toxic particles from the environment. By adopting these measures, we can ensure a healthier and safer atmosphere for everyone.

Family sitting on living room couch in their Highland, IL home enjoying clean air due to the air purifier that is placed in their living room.

Carbon Monoxide

One of the most dangerous indoor pollutants is carbon monoxide, a highly toxic gas that poses serious risks to your household. This colorless and odorless gas can become life-threatening when present at elevated levels. If you want to ensure the safety of your home, it’s crucial to place carbon monoxide detectors in proximity to bedrooms and fuel-burning devices. Regular maintenance of these detectors is essential to their effectiveness. By taking these precautions, you can create a secure living environment for your family, guarding against the potential dangers associated with carbon monoxide exposure.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Household items like air fresheners and cleaning products may seem harmless, but they actually harbor substantial levels of volatile organic compounds or VOCs. These compounds deposit hazardous chemicals that can trigger respiratory problems and worsen allergies. When you are looking to counteract the detrimental effects of VOCs, it’s wise to choose products with low VOC content, enhance indoor airflow, and contemplate the use of air purifiers featuring activated carbon filters. By embracing these precautions, you can create a healthier living environment and keep yourself protected against the potential health risks associated with prolonged exposure to VOCs.

Reach Out to Our Experts at Morrison Plumbing

Caring for the air quality within your indoor spaces is a vital aspect of your overall health and well-being. By staying well-versed in the prevalent indoor air pollutants and putting the above-mentioned approaches into practice, you have the power to foster a more wholesome environment for both you and those in your home. At Morrison Plumbing, we take pride in offering a range of products and services designed to enhance the indoor air quality of your Highland, IL, home. When you contact us, we will send our team of experts who are expertly trained and possesses the knowledge necessary to effectively elevate the air quality within your home, ensuring a cleaner and healthier living space.

Tips for Your HVAC System in the Winter

January 11, 2023 by Dan Horsch

To stay warm this winter, you should get your pre-season tune-up at the beginning of fall. Then your heater should be in great shape to function sufficiently during the winter months. However, at Morrison Plumbing, we bet there are a few other factors you may not think of to prepare for the coming cold. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time to implement these tips and tricks to stay warm and save money on your heating bill.

Prepare Your Home

Keeping your home warm during the winter when warm air is continuously escaping through tiny crevices near your doors and windows, but this is thankfully a simple fix that you can attend to yourself if you have the materials. It’s as simple as applying caulk around your windows and installing weather strips around your doors. This will not only keep the warm air in your home, but it will also keep the cold air out. It’s a cost-effective way to ensure your comfort this winter without increasing your utility bills. When you want professional help or you want your HVAC unit to be expertly inspected before winter arrives, please consult with our team at Morrison Plumbing for our variety of heating services.

Create a Way to Shelter Your Outdoor Unit

If you check the weather forecast and your area expects snow and ice, you should think about building a shelter for your outdoor unit. You don’t want to completely cover your unit because this can trap moisture and cause corrosion, and you especially don’t want to cover a heat pump because these units run all year. You want to protect the fan without completely shutting down the unit. If the fan freezes, the unit will not function properly. It will attempt to start up indefinitely until it fails. A simple lean-to or roof-like structure made of fencing materials will be more than enough to protect your outdoor unit from the elements during the winter. The idea is to cover the top, much like an umbrella, to prevent the snow and ice from piling up and causing the unit to freeze.

Close Up Your Chimney

There’s no reason to leave the damper open if you’re not using your gas or wood-burning fireplace. A damper is a movable plate that sits above the fireplace, just before the flue. When closed, it keeps heated air from rising up the chimney and cool air from entering. When opened, it allows smoke from a fire to escape the house. This is due to the vacuum effect, which sucks up the air in your home. You can save money on your home heating bills if you close the damper when the fireplace is not in use. It is important to remember that after using your fireplace, you should wait until all embers have been extinguished and all smoke has cleared from your home before closing it. It is also imperative that you do not use your fireplace with the damper completely or even partially closed, as that will only cause smoke to become trapped in your house, creating a very unpleasant situation.

Change Your Furnace Filter Regularly

If you didn’t change your furnace filter when you got your tune-up in the fall, it is a good idea to change it now and replace it with a new, clean filter. Ideally, this should be completed prior to the start of the heating season. This will ensure that your home has proper airflow and good air quality. A clogged filter can have an impact on these as well as the efficiency of your unit. Changing a filter is easy, but if you want a professional to handle it or also provide a thorough examination of your unit at the same time, you can call our experts at Morrison Plumbing. We’ll make sure your HVAC unit is functioning properly and provide whatever service is needed, including checking and changing the filters. Contact us today to get an appointment scheduled!

Avoid Tampering with Your Thermostat

Setting your thermostat to a super low temperature will not make your air conditioner cool your home any faster, and raising your thermostat significantly will not make your furnace or heat pump heat your home any faster. Actually, it will only harm your unit and increase your heating bills. The key to keeping your house warm when the cold weather arrives is to start warming up ahead of time. If you wait until your house is freezing, you’ll have to pile on the winter clothes or use space heaters to keep warm. Try to anticipate the change in weather and also try to keep your thermostat at a consistent temperature. If you’re slightly too warm, have a cold drink. If you’re slightly too cold, put on a sweater. You don’t need to change your thermostat multiple times a day if you can find other ways to keep yourself comfortable.

Use Portable Heaters

If you require additional heating, use a portable space heater. That way, you won’t have to turn on your heater every time you get cold. These portable heaters are easy to use and maneuver and do an excellent job of providing extra heat to your space. The amount of time it takes to heat your room will depend on its size, but if you position the space heater close to you, you’ll feel the warmth it provides immediately and soon the chill you feel will be gone! Using these heaters will also help your furnace so it doesn’t have to work as hard to heat your entire home. Just remember to turn off these heaters if you are not going to be in the room with them. It is dangerous to leave this equipment unattended, so you don’t want to neglect it and create a safety hazard.

When you want more tips and tricks to keeping your home warm and comfortable in the winter, consult with our experts at Morrison Plumbing. If you need professional services, we are always here to help you. Simply call our team at (618) 408-1624 and we’ll arrange a consultation to go over your specific situation. Don’t wait until winter weather has arrived. Let us help you today!

Belleville, Illinois: Maintenance Tips to Keep My Furnace Running

January 15, 2021 by Dan Horsch

In the winter months, your heating system is essential to the functioning of your home. Replacing a furnace costs thousands of dollars, but don’t worry, there are thing you can do to increase the life of your furnace for years to come. Routine maintenance will guarantee the longevity of your system while avoiding future repairs and damages. Here are 5 quick and easy maintenance tips on how to keep your heater in top shape.

Clean the Filter

This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to keep your furnace working properly. Many homeowners forget that you should be cleaning your air filter at least once a month. If you just realized it’s been a year since you last cleaned your air filter, don’t panic, the sooner you start the better!

Dust and dirt particles get caught in air filters that will eventually cause many issues with the performance of your heating system. To clean your furnace filter, simply turn your furnace off, take the filter out, rinse it with water, wait for it to dry completely, and return the filter to the heater.

CO Detectors

It is extremely important that every home with a gas furnace has a working CO detector. Gas furnaces burn carbon monoxide that, while uncommon, can leak into your home if the heat exchanger is broken or damaged. This can be especially dangerous as carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, making it impossible to identify without a proper detection system.

Check Your Air Registers

When testing out your furnace for the first time in months, make sure to check the air registers around your home. Any closed or blocked air registers will force your home to be unevenly heated and eventually affect the efficiency of your furnace.

If you notice that all of your air registers are open and you still don’t feel like your home is being properly heated, call a licensed heating and air professional to take a look at your air ducts and furnace.

Check Your Pilot Light

In many older furnaces, a small and continuously burning flame called a “pilot light” is used to ignite the burners when turning on your furnace. It should be a light to dark shade of blue, but, if you notice the flame is a different color or gone completely, you should immediately call Morrison Plumbing, Heating, and Air to identify the issue.

Almost all modern furnaces have an electric ignition that can be turned off and on with an electric igniter.

Clean the Furnace Frequently

Make sure the area surrounding the furnace is clean and not being blocked by any objects or debris. Frequently sweep around the furnace, especially if you have pets, to get rid of any dust and dandruff that could make it way into the air filter and vents.