Like many other people in the United States, COVID-19 has probably forced your employer to shut up the business for now and wait until the coronavirus has slackened off a little. After being told that there was no need to leave the home for a while as a precaution, everyone who could work from their living space had to do so, and those who couldn’t (including retail employees, teachers, hospitality sector workers, and performing artists) were amongst the first to consider what to do each day instead of working. Plus, if you are a member of a high-risk group that was told to self-quarantine, then you were no doubt very quickly acquainted with every detail of the same four walls of your living room.
Many would have realized that the best way to spend so much extra time on their hands was on fixing up the home, and doing all of those little jobs that they just hadn’t gotten around to yet. Going over paint chips, replacing broken appliances, and cleaning the home’s decor from top to bottom were all great exercises when under quarantine, but when the CDC announced that social distance measures would have to continue, it turned out that they’re a little short-lived.
But with quarantine, and spending so much time at home, another set of health conditions looked to arise that was unrelated to the spread of COVID-19. However, these are things that are to do with house and home, and with time on your hands and so much work on the home already completed, you may already unwittingly have started to administer the appropriate “medication” to prevent more medical conditions. Here is how home maintenance can impact your health.
The HVAC System
If you started hearing sounds in the home, then the chances are you’ve already encountered problems with the HVAC system. Your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) units are the main temperature regulators in the home, and these components all rely on each other to keep the house both warm or cool. This relationship between appliances relies on all three workings correctly to ensure that the home is secure. The boiler or furnace heats the air in the home, which is kept dry through the air conditioners, and clean by the ventilation.
What happens when they break down?
A breakdown in this system will end up with compromised comfort and even a risk to health, and will be the result of poor maintenance. If there is extra moisture in the air, caused by a leak in the heating systems pipework, blocked vents, or malfunctioning AC units, then the heating system will have to work harder to heat both the air and the water within. As well as making the air feel heavier, the moisture will become humidity and is a breeding ground for viruses and harmful bacteria. Family members who are already at a higher risk of exposure to viruses thanks respiratory conditions like asthma, could be in serious danger.
Obviously, if you are at the point where mold and dampness have settled in, then you are past the point of good maintenance. The best idea in that situation would be to call Doc Savage Heating and Air Conditioning and get the units looked at and repaired or replaced. Beyond that, keep on top of maintaining these utilities and check they’re working often. The moment that you notice a problem, then call out the pros and let them handle it.
Air Conditioning
When it comes to humidity in the home, you will still need a small amount of it. After all, completely dry air isn’t great, but the opposite is much worse. You can modify an air conditioning unit to cycle warm air, that is somewhat dryer by installing a heat pump. If you do that, however, don’t forget to‚Äîyou guessed it‚Äîkeep that heat pump maintained.
For New Homeowners
For those who moved into a new home during the pandemic, you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to through the best housewarming party you can, just yet (or, if you did, you probably should know it wasn’t a good idea!) Remember that the new home also needs to be checked thoroughly for any problems before moving in, and COVID-19 doesn’t change that. Once you’ve moved in, check your utilities, wait out this COVID-19 pandemic, and then you can start researching how to throw a housewarming party you’ll remember forever.
