How Sand Can Impact Air Quality in Your Home
If you live near the beach, you’re probably no stranger to having sand in your home. Whether it’s in your shoes, in the carpet, or on the floor of your car, sand can evade even the most thorough cleaning. But what about circulating in the air of your home? Many common pollutants, such as dirt and dust, can affect the air you’re breathing inside. Is sand any different? Here’s a quick guide to how sand can impact air quality in your home – and what you can do about it.
Sand and Air Quality
The good news is, sand itself is not doing much to impact air quality in your home, even if you live near the beach. If you have an HVAC unit and it is functioning properly, it should be filtering all of that sand out of the air. It may be just about everywhere else in your home, but it’s not in the air you’re breathing.
It can still affect the air quality in a different way, however. Over time, the sand that your HVAC system is filtering will begin to build up. Specifically, sand tends to get stuck in your condenser unit. In many instances, salt residue can start to build up as well, if you live near the beach. Once the sand, and potentially salt, is trapped inside, it can begin to cause problems for your unit. That’s how sand can impact air quality in your home, even if you’re not breathing it in directly.
Decreased Efficiency
First, all of the sand building up in your HVAC system will cause it to clog. That means your system won’t be able to work as efficiently to filter out other common household pollutants – the ones you do need to be worrying about breathing in too much. These pollutants include dirt, dust, mildew and pet dander, all of which can irritate your lungs. This is especially true if anyone in your household struggles with allergies.
Second, if your system isn’t operating properly because it’s clogged up with sand, you’ll end up paying more in energy bills. That’s because your HVAC system is having to work much harder to do the exact same job, costing more energy (and more money). The more sand that builds up, the more issues your unit will have over time.
What Can You Do?
If you live near the beach, it’s virtually impossible to eliminate sand from your home. That means you also can’t stop how the sand can impact air quality by clogging up your system. You can, however, stay ahead of the issue by scheduling regular HVAC maintenance.
At a maintenance appointment, a technician will inspect the unit, clean the inside pieces and note any necessary repairs. This includes the buildup of sand, salt and other pollutants. Keeping up with these annual appointments can ensure that the buildup in your system never becomes a problem. As with many things, it’s more affordable to pay a small amount for regular maintenance instead paying for costly emergency repairs down the road.
Save Time and Money
Whether you live near the beach or just visit for summer vacation, it’s a good idea to stay on top of HVAC maintenance. That’s why Barineau Heating and Air Conditioning’s Total Comfort Service Program is designed to make annual maintenance as convenient as possible. With multiple plan options, no overtime charges and same-day service, our program makes annual maintenance a breeze.
If you are already a Barineau customer in the Big Bend, we can now take care of your Emerald Coast home, too! Talk to us today about how your second home integrates with your existing Barineau Total Comfort Service Plan.
