How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality A guide to getting the most out of the machines that make your home comfortable: air conditioners, air filters, and humidifiers. Share your take on this idea!Upload your photo here. How clean and comfortable is the air inside your home? Is it too dry? You spend the majority of your life indoors, so it's worth it to pay attention to the quality of air in your home, notes Jay Portnoy, MD, chief of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. There are so many machines available today for the sole purpose of helping us breathe easier indoors. But simply having an air filter doesn't mean your home air quality is perfect. Mold, dust, and other allergens can accumulate in your air conditioner, humidifier, and air filter to make the air you're breathing more polluted than ever. Here's what you need to know to keep these devices clean, efficient, and effective. (Note: In desert regions, mold is not an issue because of the already-low humidity.)

What they do: As anyone who lives in a hot-weather climate knows, air-conditioning is a must-have summertime comfort. But did you know that air conditioners do double-duty by cooling the air and also removing moisture so you feel less hot and sticky?How to use them effectively: To cool down the entire house, central air-conditioning is usually the most effective way to go. Be aware, though, that a central air conditioner that's too powerful for the size of the house will cool the air down quickly, but won't have a chance to remove moisture from the air adequately if that's a concern. If you just want to cool a single room, a less-expensive option is a window-mounted air conditioner (probably too expensive too operate, though, in desert regions).Safety alert: Because water condenses on an air conditioner's cooling coils, they can be a potential source of mold, Dr. Portnoy notes.Upkeep tips: Whether you have central air-conditioning or a window unit, air conditioners should be serviced at the beginning of each season by a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning professional who can clean the coils and make sure they're not contaminated.

What they do: Air filters remove irritants like mold spores, pet dander, candle and cigarette soot, and even skin cells from the air, making it easier to breathe, especially for people who have allergies. How to use them effectively: High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters generally cost more than ionic filters, but HEPA filters are more efficient at removing all of the airborne particles, says Dr. Portnoy. The best way to filter air for the whole house is with a filter that's placed in the furnace, he says. (In desert regions, the filter may be attached to the air conditioner as part of an electric heat pump.) Be sure to leave the system's fan running even if the heat is not on to allow the filter to do its job. Safety alert: "Some air filters produce ozone," Dr. Portnoy says. "The ozone oxidizes the chemicals that produce smells and makes the air smell fresh, but doesn't remove them." Because ozone itself can be an irritant, he recommends steering clear of ozone-producing devices (most are labeled on the package).

Upkeep tips: Over time, HEPA filters clog up and need replacing. How often you need to change them will depend on how contaminated the air is. air purifier while sleepingElectrostatic filters should be cleaned according to the manufacturer's directions (some have parts that can be hosed off or wiped down, while others use disposable filters).air duct cleaning effectiveness Additional advice: Don't bet on your air filter to protect you from mold allergens. advanced furnace and air duct cleaning inc"Where there's water, there's going to be mold," Dr. Portnoy says. The best remedy is to get rid of the source of the mold (such as a leak or damaged drywall) and use a diluted bleach solution to remove the mold spores.

What they do: Does walking on your carpet give you an electric shock? Those sparks are an indicator that the humidity level in your home is too low. A humidifier can counteract this by adding moisture to the air. How to use them effectively: Most people rely on stand-alone humidifiers to add moisture in individual rooms, which is fine if you can't attach a unit to the furnace. However, according to Dr. Portnoy, the most effective way to humidify the whole house is usually with an evaporative model that can be placed in your central furnace. To give the humidifier enough time to work effectively, you may need to leave the fan running even when the heat is off. Safety alert: Stand-alone cool-mist humidifiers "can shoot bacteria and mold into the air," Dr. Portnoy says. Be sure to follow the manufacturer instructions for cleaning. Hot humidifiers, or vaporizers, avoid this problem, but can be a scalding risk around toddlers, who may accidentally tip them over. Upkeep tips: A diluted bleach solution is the best way to clean cool-mist and cool-evaporative humidifiers.

For more information, refer to the manufacturer's instructions. Additional advice: The optimal humidity level is between 35 and 50 percent -- any higher, and you'll end up creating a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, Dr. Portnoy notes. A simple way to measure indoor humidity levels is with a hygrometer (humidity meter), which can be purchased inexpensively at a drugstore.By maintaining your air conditioner, changing the filters, and cleaning the drain lines, you can avoid a costly A/C repair or even damage to your home. Here are a few easy tips to keep your A/C unit in good shape and prevent serious damage. A good air conditioner is an important appliance in hot, humid Jacksonville. Nobody wants the A/C to shut down in the middle of a warm day, but a few minor maintenance steps can prevent costly A/C repair later on. Here are some tips to keep your air conditioner running: There are two main components of air conditioning maintenance that homeowners can control — filter changes and drain lines.

The first one to take care of is your filter. A/C filters catch a lot of the dust, dander, and lint floating around your home. Unfortunately, even filters that are working properly can cause problems in the long run, because they build up this debris over time and cause your air conditioner to work harder. This can make it overheat and become terribly inefficient. Simply changing the filter and cleaning the grate can help you avoid A/C repair by keeping your unit working more efficiently. The drain line leading to the outside of your home is frequently overlooked, but homeowners can actually maintain it themselves. An air conditioner, be it a small window unit or a large centralized one, is nothing more than a big dehumidifier. Air in the room is drawn in through the filter and intake, then blown across coils filled with coolant and returned back into your home. Condensation collects on the coils as warm air passes over them, and this condensation drips down into a pan beneath your unit.

The water is then funneled out of your home to the yard through a small PVC pipe (usually an inch in diameter). This pipe can become clogged with yard waste, dirt, mold, and mildew. This usually occurs at the opening of the pipe outside, but that gunk can travel up into the pipe. To make sure your drain line is clean, you should go outside of your home to locate the line. You usually will find a one-inch pipe near the outside A/C unit. Sometimes this line can be covered up with dirt or mulch during new home construction. Clear the area to make sure the water flows out — it’s usually just a trickle, but over time the water can get backed up. Spray straight bleach into the end of the pipe to kill the mold and mildew. From the inside, under the air handler unit, find the drip pan (a large, thin aluminum pan). The pan will usually be tilted in one direction, and at the corner of that tilt area you can find the top of the drain pipe. Pour two capfulls of straight bleach down the line.