Maintaining high commercial air quality is as important to the success of your business as other health standards. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency has noted that continued exposure to allergens and irritants indoors can cause respiratory problems and exacerbate conditions like asthma and allergies. To avoid these problems, there are a few things you can do to ensure high commercial indoor air quality in your space.
Together with your heating & air conditioning service team, you can bring your commercial air quality up to snuff, and avoid the disruptions that can be caused by health issues. It might seem like a small problem to spend time on, but commercial indoor air quality is easy to maintain once you know what you are doing. In the greater St. Louis area, the HVAC team at Galmiche & Sons can help.
What is Commercial Indoor Air Quality?
Commercial indoor air quality refers to the prevalence of irritants and particles in the air in a commercial space. Since offices and other commercial spaces do not have much natural airflow, and many people use the space in different ways, it is easy for irritants to get trapped in the air and cause problems. For most people this can mean irritated noses and eyes if the problem gets bad enough, but for people with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems, even a small presence of allergens and other particles can cause problems.
To keep your employees healthy — and avoid the sick days these problems can cause — it is a good idea to pay attention to your commercial indoor air quality. The level of commercial indoor air quality you should aim for depends on your business. For example, if many children or elderly people will be using the space, you will probably need higher commercial indoor air quality than otherwise.
How to Improve Your Commercial Indoor Air Quality
There are a few things you can do on your own right away to improve commercial indoor air quality. Since air circulation is a big part of the problem, anything you can do to help air move through the space, the better. You can also do the following to cut down on irritants in the air:
- Move furniture away from vents and registers so air can flow through them easily.
- Seal or remove potential pollutants. This can be everything from chemicals you might be working with to food and trash. A lot of materials can create airborne particles, so think about what might be contributing to airborne irritants in your building.
- Rearrange the flow of the space if you can to encourage airflow and work with the ventilation you have.
Beyond that, the air filters in your commercial HVAC system can do a lot of work towards maintaining your commercial indoor air quality. Make sure they are replaced at least once a year, and consider using air filters with a higher MERV rating, which will filter out more from the air. You should also schedule professional HVAC maintenance at least once a year to have your system cleaned and checked. This can help eliminate pollutants that might be spread through your space and ensure the system is working properly for peak performance and air quality.
Learn More About How Central Air Purifiers Can Improve Commercial Indoor Air Quality
For commercial spaces with especially big airflow problems, or spaces where many potential air pollutants are used, you should consider a central air purifier. A central air purifier works with your standard air filters to add another layer of filtration to your HVAC system. Get in touch with our St. Louis heating & air conditioning experts today to learn whether a central air purifier is right for you.
