Take a Breath of Fresh Air for National Wellness Month

Woman relaxing on a couch in a serene indoor setting with green plants, showcasing the comfort of home.

Understanding Indoor Air Quality 

During August, people celebrate National Wellness Month. National Wellness Month is a great time to start new habits promoting health and wellbeing every year. While most people focus on managing stress and taking a relaxing day off, there is a chance that those things could do more harm than good. 

For those who own aquariums, water quality is one of the chief concerns for keeping the fish alive. Why does no one pay the same attention to the air quality in their homes? With a population that spends more time indoors, the implications of poor indoor air quality can be serious, especially considering that indoor air is many times more polluted than outdoor air. This month, take some advice from those who know. Here is a quick guide to better indoor air quality from local experts who want to see people thrive in healthier air. 

Health Implications of Low-Quality Air 

Child experiencing allergy symptoms, holding tissue to nose, indoors, highlighting health effects of poor indoor air quality.Most people focus on what goes into their stomachs regarding health and well-being. Unfortunately, this means they completely forget about what is going into their lungs. In the wake of a global respiratory pandemic, people should not be so forgetful of their lung health. Some of the complications that arise from constantly being exposed to low-quality air are:

  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • COPD complications
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Sore throat and nose
  • Sinus problems 

While these symptoms can conspire to make life miserable, there is hope! 

AC Maintenance and Air Filter Changes 

Person replacing an air filter in an HVAC system, emphasizing maintenance for improved indoor air quality and health.Every air conditioner, whether a ductless mini split or a central AC system, needs a series of air filters that must be maintained. The first step in cleaning up the home's air is to ensure filters are replaced or cleaned at least every three months. Air filters can be changed more often for those who continue to suffer ill effects. This can empower homeowners to take control of their health. 

Regular air filter changes can go a long way towards easing the effects of low indoor air quality, but they aren't the only thing. AC maintenance is the next step in ensuring that the air stays clean. Allowing professional AC maintenance technicians to look at the air conditioner annually ensures the AC keeps pumping cool, clean air. 

Air Purifiers and UV Sanitizers 

In many cases, people in a home need air to be cleaner than what high-quality filters can offer. Luckily, there are still two great options for cleaning up the air. For those with allergies, the best option is air purifiers. Air purifiers can be portable units, or they can be installed with HVAC equipment. They are essentially very high-quality filters that remove even the smallest pollutants. 

For those who suffer from general respiratory problems aggravated by dust, UV sanitizers are the best choice. These devices are installed within HVAC equipment, and they constantly pump ions into the air that kill pathogens and cause dust to clump together and fall out of the air. By adding one of these two systems to an HVAC system, owners can get hospital-quality air. 

About Chad's AC Direct

Chad's AC Direct can handle any air quality issues in a home. With written estimates, owners can be confident in the service and pricing they receive. Call today for residential or commercial HVAC service in Montgomery, AL. 

Get Safer Indoor Air for National Wellness Month

Young man relaxing in living room with natural light, promoting HVAC tips for Chad's AC Direct services.

What Is Good Indoor Air Quality?

Air is all around everyone, and all it takes is a quick dunk under water to understand its importance and urgency. Since air is all around pretty much all of the time, it is easy to forget that air quality is vastly important to human health.

During National Wellness Month, take a moment and examine the air in common spaces, especially inside the home. Indoor air is heavy with humidity and particles that can harm health. Instead of taking risks with health, take some advice from local air quality experts and make some changes for the better.

Health Effects of Poor Indoor Air

Middle-aged man experiencing headache and fatigue, illustrating health effects of poor indoor air quality.Low-quality air tends to affect so many things in the body. Starting with the lungs, low-quality air can be hazardous for good lung health. Some of the effects of poor air quality on lung health are:

  • Chronic sinus infections
  • Worsened allergies
  • More intense asthma symptoms
  • Sore throat

All of these symptoms can greatly reduce the health of people constantly exposed to low air quality, but the bad effects don't end there. Some of the other ways that poor air quality can affect health are:

  • Chronic headaches
  • Dizziness
  • General fatigue
  • Eye irritation
  • Dry skin

With everyone spending so much time indoors, especially over the summer, long-term health effects can be even more serious. Some of the long-term health effects of low-quality indoor air are:

  • Respiratory disease
  • Heart disease
  • Cancer

While all these symptoms and diseases are bad, they are avoidable by changing a few simple habits.

Air Filter Changes and Maintenance Practices

Woman replacing air filter in HVAC system, emphasizing air quality maintenance and health benefits in indoor environments.Air conditioner maintenance is an important process for every home. It all starts by partnering with a professional AC maintenance contractor who handles annual air conditioner maintenance. Professional maintenance can yield benefits beyond better indoor air, like energy savings and better comfort.

One of the steps that homeowners can take to help with AC maintenance is to replace air filters every three months or more often if necessary. Keeping clean filters in service removes dust and allergens from indoor air, restoring the health of everyone who lives in a home.

Portable Air Quality Devices

If high-quality air filters aren't enough to make symptoms of poor indoor air quality subside, then maybe more air filtration or sanitation is necessary. While devices will purify the air in the entire home, most homeowners are content with keeping certain areas cleaner, like bedrooms, with portable air purifiers and air sanitizers.

Air purifiers use high-quality filters to remove nearly all particles from indoor air, including pollen and viruses. Air sanitizers use UV light to destroy pollutants like odors, smoke, and VOCs that can damage the lungs. By figuring out the source of lung problems, homeowners can use these portable devices to further remove pollutants from the air to improve their overall health.

About Chad's AC Direct

Chad's AC Direct is the local choice for indoor air quality solutions. Customers know they're always getting honest prices with hand-written estimates and itemized parts lists. Call today for personal attention for air quality services in Montgomery, AL.

Women's History Month: HVAC Edition

Woman in safety goggles using a multimeter on electrical components for HVAC maintenance at Chad's AC Direct.

These Women Changed the Heating and Cooling World 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that as of May 2020, there were over 344,000 HVAC professionals. However, of that number, less than 10 percent of those workers are women. But why? Perceptions of womanhood, systematic oppression and other factors have prevented many women from entering this male-dominated field. 

Yet, HVAC history is packed with dozens of "hidden figures"––meaning women who worked behind the scenes to improve the heating and cooling industry. Some of these iconic figures include Alice H. Walker and Margaret Ingles. Interested parties can continue reading to learn more. 

The HVAC Industry Today 

Before delving into Alice H. Walker and Margert Ingles' lives, here are some fast things to know about today's HVAC industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 

  • HVAC is one of the most lucrative home improvement industries today. On average, workers make $53,000 a year at $25.68 an hour. Of course, this can vary by state and expertise. 
  • Florida, California, and Texas have the most HVAC specialists in the country.

Furthermore, the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) notes that the number of women entering the HVAC industry is rising. Nine percent of HVAC professionals are women. Given the number of vacancies on the market, that number will likely go up; the ACCA notes at least 115,000 slots for HVAC technician jobs. 

Alice H. Walker: an African-American Female Engineer (1895 to ??) Portrait of Alice H. Parker, an African American inventor known for creating the first gas furnace, symbolizing women's contributions to HVAC innovations.

Very little is known about Alice H. Walker's life. That's mostly because, as an African-American woman, historians did not record much of her life and death. Historians were still debating when Walker passed away. 

However, one thing is certain about her life: she hated New Jersey's freezing winters. In 1910, Walker graduated from Howard University, a Black college in Washington, D.C., and she cultivated a love of engineering. 

In 1919, she received a patent for her invention, a gas heating furnace. She hoped to make a safer appliance that didn't need to burn overnight by creating a heating source that didn't rely on firewood. 

The device was not the first of its kind, as many inventors hoped to create an efficient heating source for homes and businesses. Yet, Walker's invention would serve as the basis for many other inventions that came after hers. Researchers hope to uncover more of Walker's life and shed more light on her innovations. 

Portrait of Margaret Ingels, pioneering African American female inventor and mechanical engineer, known for her contributions to gas furnace design and air conditioning systems.Margaret Ingels: an American Female Inventor (1892 to 1971) 

Margaret Ingles was born in Paris, Kentucky, in 1892. From a very young age, she was fascinated with science and engineering. Her curiosity was piqued when she learned about condensation forming outside of glasses as a young child. 

In 1916, she graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's in engineering, and she is credited with being the first woman to graduate with this degree from the university. After taking a job as a traffic engineer, she found her calling in the HVAC world. 

She created a host of inventions, one of which determined how much humidity was in a room. This was groundbreaking at the time, inspiring other engineers to build on her works. Ingles passed away in 1971. 

 

About Chad's AC Direct 

Chad's AC Direct looks forward to Women's History Month each year. It also loves helping those in Birmingham, AL with their HVAC systems. Interested parties in the area can call these professionals today for HVAC service

Celebrate Women's History Month By Learning About the Women Who Shaped HVAC

Technician using a clamp meter on electrical equipment, highlighting HVAC maintenance and safety at Chad's AC Direct.

Women Pioneered Change In the World of Heating and Cooling

At one point in time, being an HVAC contractor was considered "man's work." The first women to work in the heating and cooling industry were considered groundbreaking pioneers in a male-dominated field. The times have changed, and today, there are women at the forefront of the HVAC industry, managing heating and cooling companies and enjoying various leadership positions. 

This March is Women's History Month. In honor of the women in the HVAC industry, HVAC experts take a look at a brief overview of women in the industry and some of the most notable female inventors.   

Modern Women In the HVAC Industry

Thanks to the advancement of technology and the new tools that are available to modern HVAC technicians, the career of HVAC contractor is more accessible to women than ever before. According to US labor statistics, women still only make up around three percent of the total workforce in the HVAC industry. 

Despite being small in numbers, the women in the HVAC industry have contributed greatly towards the innovations that make the industry what it is today. The inventions of female engineers completely revolutionized the way modern heating and cooling systems function. Alice H. Parker and Margaret Ingels are two of the most famous women in heating and cooling. Keep reading to learn more about their inspirational stories. 

Alice H. Walker Invented the First Gas FurnacePortrait of Alice H. Parker, an African American inventor known for creating the first gas furnace, symbolizing women's contributions to HVAC innovations.

Alice H. Parker was an African American and female inventor who invented the first-ever gas furnace. She was living in New Jersey with her mother and faced with chopping wood to survive the harsh NJ winter; she decided to develop a better solution. She created a system that would use natural gas to generate heat for the home, circulating through ductwork. 

Her idea was patented in December of 1919, but unfortunately, she died shortly after, and her original design never came to fruition due to safety concerns. However, her design inspired generations of engineers after her to invent what we now know as a central heating system. Her design was groundbreaking for its use of gas and ductwork. 

Portrait of Margaret Ingels, pioneering African American female inventor and mechanical engineer, known for her contributions to gas furnace design and air conditioning systems.

 

 

Engineering Trailblazer Margaret Ingels

Margaret Ingels was a female inventor and engineer from the 1920s who had a special interest in air conditioning. To this day, Margaret Ingels is one of the most inspirational figures for women in the engineering industry. She was the second woman in America to become an engineer and the first woman to ever become a mechanical engineer. 

Shortly after graduating, she became interested in air quality control and began working on new systems for indoor temperature control. She decided to join the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers and studied air conditioning systems for six years, and implemented industry-changing innovations in how air conditioners are built.

About Chad's AC Direct

Chad's AC Direct is available 24/7 for emergency heating and cooling services. Homeowners in Montgomery, AL, and the surrounding regions can depend on Chad's AC Direct for flat-rate pricing, on-time appointments, and expert technicians. Give them a call today to schedule an appointment with an experienced AC contractor!

Learning All About Wellness for National Wellness Month

Two hands gently cupping a red heart cutout, symbolizing care and compassion, relevant to HVAC services by Chad's AC Direct.

It's Time To Check the Indoor Air Quality For National Wellness Month

August is National Wellness Month, which means it's also time to check in with the indoor air quality in the home. Many homeowners don't realize that one can significantly compromise their health if the air quality in their homes isn't the greatest. It can lead to several underlying health issues they might not even be aware of. It is important that homeowners know what indoor air quality is and the pollutants that cause poor indoor air quality and the health risks that result from it. Continue reading below to learn more!

Woman relaxing on a couch with a peaceful expression, surrounded by indoor plants, emphasizing the importance of indoor air quality for health and wellness.

Facts About Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is one of the most important things to consider about a home. Many homeowners don't realize just how important it is to their health. When IAQ is poor, many of those in the home start to experience health issues, stated more in detail below. 

That's not all, though. Poor air quality can also lead to the HVAC system not working at peak efficiency either. When the home is dirty or full of pollutants, it causes the HVAC system to strain itself because it has to filter out so much from the air before letting it go back into the home. When air quality is poor, it's because the air filter hasn't been changed in a while, the ductwork hasn't been cleaned, or the home hasn't been cleaned. 

Staying on track of those three things is the easiest way to maintain an excellent IAQ. 

Common Indoor Air Pollutant Homeowners Should KnowDust and debris on hardwood floor highlighting common indoor air pollutants affecting HVAC efficiency and indoor air quality.

As mentioned, poor air quality stems from pollutants in the air. These pollutants can come from anywhere, even outside! Some common pollutants that cause poor IAQ are:

  • Pesticides
  • Nitrogen Dioxide
  • Lead
  • Asbestos 
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Radon
  • Excess moisture
  • Tobacco 
  • Dust 
  • Combustion products
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
  • Biological pollutants 

Even common outdoor allergens can make their way into the home via open doors and windows. It is crucial to keep the airflow circulating and the home clean to try and avoid as many of these pollutants as possible. The more pollutants in the air, the worse the air quality 

The Health Effects of Poor IAQ

When the air quality in the home is poor for an extended period, it can lead to several short-term and long-term health effects. Some of these health effects are: 

  • Itchy eyes
  • Sore throat
  • Coughing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Runny nose
  • Worsened asthma 
  • Dizziness 
  • Fatigue
  • Heart problems
  • Lung problems
  • Cancer 

Luckily, the air quality improves most of the time before anyone in the household suffers from long-term effects, but it can still happen if those in the house aren't aware of the issue. However, the easiest way to keep allergies and asthma under control is to keep an eye on IAQ. 

Chad's AC Direct Cares About Their Customers

Chad's AC Direct has provided award-winning services for years. Their Montgomery, AL customers trust them with all of their heating and cooling needs. When it's time for AC maintenance, repair, or replacement, it's time to call!