Smart Homes: Effective Ways to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

Every creature cherishes the place it lives in. Similarly, humans as the crown of creation love to make our homes as luxurious, and cozy as possible. However, despite our efforts, the dream of living in a humble and peaceful abode comes crashing down- sometimes with nothing more than a single sneeze.

If you find yourself having routine sneezing bouts, chances are, you’ve come across the words, “allergies” about a dozen times.

If for some mysterious reason, these “allergies” seem to stick around for the entire year, you might want to consider other possibilities.

If something feels wrong in the air, there’s probably something wrong with the very air you breathe in.

You read that right. Sometimes, it is not just the house that needs to be spick and span but the indoor air as well.

All of us love to spend time in our home, and we spend a handsome amount to make it worth living. It is high time that we spend on indoor air quality equipment too.

However, before we can get into that, let’s discuss what factors contribute to the pollution of indoor air quality (IAQ).

TYPES OF POLLUTANTS

Three major types of pollutants contaminate the indoor air. These pollutants can have multiple adverse effects on health.

• Outdoor Air Pollutants: Pollutants such as carbon monoxide, benzene, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and dust particles. Particles that are present in the building and enter the home through ventilation.
• Occupant-related Pollutants: Ones that are mainly generated in households like carbon dioxide, bio-effluents, and particulate matter, etc. Particles can be of wide ranges and can vary in size.
• Building related Pollutants: The majority of these are Volatile Organics (VOC) that originate from furniture, office equipment, construction material, etc. Microbial elements such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria can also be counted in this.

Many of the pollutants mentioned above are the significant contributors to unhealthy indoor air quality that leads to many health issues. In some extreme cases,  the impact of these contaminants might even result in death. To handle these problems smartly, people have come up with smart devices that modify their living spaces to a “Smart Home.”

SMART HOME – THE EFFECTIVE WAY TO IMPROVE IAQ:

If you’ve picked up a home décor mag recently, the concept of smart living might not be foreign to you. Simply put, the term ‘smart home’ is used to describe a home that connects different appliances through a communication network. All these appliances can be remotely controlled, accessed, and monitored through a smartphone over Wi-Fi.

Usually, a smart home makes use of technological advancements to provide practical solutions to problems such as indoor air pollution.

Enlisted below are some practical ways by which a smart home makes life healthier:

1) UTILIZING AN HVAC SYSTEM:

An HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) System is designed to control the environment in which it works. The system controls the temperature of a room through heating and cooling.

The humidity of a particular area and the distribution of air are also controlled by the system. The system makes the indoor air a lot more comfortable.

An HVAC system can easily manage and alter the air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, and thermal radiations. HVAC Filters are designed to filter the indoor air of pollutants. The indoor air can eliminate some of the contaminants but cannot be completely freed of them.

The HVAC system is easily accessible through smartphones and Wi-Fi. There are no worries of leaving the system switched on for more extended periods. Just one tap and everything runs smoothly and automated.

I was on a visit to Portland that is when some HVAC contractors Portland Oregon, introduced me to HVAC System. After that, I consider my life changed for the better.

2) INTRODUCING HEPA Air Purifiers:

HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) is a product that is highly efficient at capturing all sorts of microscopic particles. All kinds of dust, pollen, molds, and stuff that people are allergic to are mostly wiped off by the product.

HEPA air purifier consists of a dense filter also called the HEPA filter, which traps all the contaminated particles mentioned above and pollutants in the house and prevents them from polluting the indoor air quality. These filters can also be washed and reused again, which makes them handier.

Air purification becomes a piece of cake if you go for HEPA Air Purifiers.

3) USAGE OF DEHUMIDIFIERS:

Are dampness and moisture climbing on the walls and driving you up to the walls? When humidity exceeds the required amount, it makes the home unpleasant. An extremely damp or condensed environment can result in molds growing all over the house, musty smells, and respiratory illness.

One of the best solutions to counter this excess humidity is by getting a dehumidifier. An electronic gadget removes moisture from the air. Dehumidifier somehow functions as a vacuum cleaner. It takes the air in from the end of the room, sucks the moisture out of it and blows the air back.

The moisture does not disappear into thin air. It is collected into a collection tank that you have to empty from time to time. Now, the air that you will breathe in will be free of extra moisture and will not give you pneumonia!

4) UTILIZING AIR MONITORS:

Air monitors give the homeowners control of the air inside their house. An indoor air quality monitor detects contaminants and pollutants that are released from our environment and daily activities. The entire data is displayed on the gadget and suggests preventive measures to maintain the IAQ.

Essential factors like temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels are being highlighted. Some air monitors contain LED lights that give a visual indication of air quality. If the device sends you more negative notifications, then it is time you purify the air.

Air Monitors can easily be accessed via smartphones or other devices that use Wi-Fi. In this way, the notifications can be accessed easily while sitting in any part of your smart home.

5) USE OF tVOC SENSORS:

tVOC (Total volatile organic compounds) are numerous organic chemicals emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. Human-made, artificially, and naturally occurring chemicals are counted as VOC.

tVOC sensors measure particulate matters (PM) of 2.5 diameter microns or less. An estimate of 1000 gases is detected both harmful and harmless. Particulate matters from furniture, laundry detergent, repellent, perfume, printers, paint, building materials are recognized.

The majority of the VOCs are removed by the filter and sensor but not all of them. Most of the gases deducted are removed if they are poisonous or not but not all of them. If the temperature is high, VOCs evaporate by themselves.

6) USING SMART THERMOSTAT:

Just as the name suggests, the smart thermostat makes sure that your entire home is comfortable. It is a smart device that replaces your existing thermostat and adapts to the temperature that you are satisfied with. The thermostat does not even require to be set all the time by the app.

It has a function of remembrance. If you have a set a specific temperature that keeps the place warm in the afternoon and cool at night, the thermostat will remember it all. It not only remembers your preferences but also saves energy. The gadget uses your phone’s location and its sensors to figure out when the home is empty. All this makes the indoor air quality very comfortable and a lot healthier.

With Innovation on its peak in the modern era, there is plenty of room still left for more smart home appliances to be brought into the light. The practical methods to improve indoor air quality can always be enhanced in several ways that also provide data security. The Smart Home Technology (SMT) no doubt opens up the great potential to ensure living comfort and health for inhabitants and to assist the elderly.

Author Bio:
About Michelle Joe: Michelle Joe is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences, and express herself through her blogs. You can find her on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook