The most hazardous thing in your house shouldn't be the air your family breathes.
Make a habit of changing your air-conditioner's filters every month and use a pleated filter to trap more pollutants.
Additionally, be aware of these airborne troublemakers:
- Carbon monoxide. When you burn anything produced by nature, it will produce carbon monoxide (CO). Those dancing flames in the fireplace, whether fueled by gas or wood, produce carbon monoxide. Your gas-fueled furnace and water heater emit it. Even the gas or charcoal you use in your barbecue grill gives off carbon monoxide.
When you use fossil fuels outdoors, the fumes quickly dissipate. But inside, gas-fired appliances need proper ventilation.
Even the best vent can fail if it's blocked by a nest or debris. Check vents frequently because a buildup of CO can cause headaches or colds that won't go away. Worst case: CO, which you can't see or smell, can kill you within minutes.
Install CO detectors on each floor and in every bedroom. Keep them low to the ground and away from drafts, which can push CO away from the detector and cause a false "OK" reading.
And never use a gas- or charcoal-fired barbecue grill indoors. It's about the most surefire way to poison your family.
- Contaminated air handler. Your air handler - the mechanism that circulates AC through your home - is probably tucked in a closet or attic. And in the same area, you may store gas or household chemicals. Bad idea.
Sharon Altenhoff, owner of Air Quality Specialists in Glendale, says chemicals stored too close to the air handler can seep into the device and cause it to circulate smells throughout the house. Store those chemicals elsewhere.
Likewise, if you store gas and chemicals in an attached garage, install weather stripping around the door. And consider adding a vent in the garage.
- Mold. You can find mold anywhere you find moisture and dirt. Since nearly every house has some of it, clean it up now before it spreads.
Use a HEPA vacuum cleaner (not a shop vac, which will spread the mold) to gather the spores. Put them in a bag and take it outside. If you find spores on a wood shelf or cabinet, clean it with dishwashing detergent, sand it down, and use the HEPA vacuum to remove the dust. Spray the surface with KILZ before you paint it to prevent mold stains from showing through.
Tip: Don't use bleach on mold. Altenhoff says it will kill the mold, but the bleach can cause the dead spores to create microtoxins, which can be worse than the mold itself.
It's easier to prevent mold than to get rid of it. Keep your house clean and dry. Repair leaks the second you spot them. Mop standing water under cabinets and sinks and around the toilet.
- Lead and asbestos. If you live in an older house, there's probably lead in the paint. A pet or child who chews on the paint can become violently ill. Likewise, popcorn ceilings in homes built before 1981 could contain asbestos, which has been linked with breathing, lung and heart ailments, and even cancer.
If removing the popcorn ceiling, wear a respirator. And remove lead-based paint that is chipping or peeling. If you do it yourself, get everybody out of the house first, wear a respirator while you work and try to create as little dust as possible. But for lead and asbestos removal, you are better off hiring a pro.
Altenhoff recommends that homeowners who suspect any of these contaminants undergo an indoor air-quality audit. An investigator will locate the source of bad smells and contaminated air that could be causing headaches and other ailments. You'll also receive recommendations on how to stop the problem, clean the air and prevent future trouble.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero has been in the Arizona home building and remodeling industry for 35 years. He has a radio program at 8-11 a.m. Saturdays on KTAR-FM (92.3) in Phoenix, KQNA-AM (1130) in Prescott, KAZM-AM (780) in Sedona, and KNST-AM (790) in Tucson.
Even if the manufacturer says you should change your air-conditioner filter every two or three months, do it every single month. Arizona is extra-dusty.
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