Many people light candles to create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility in their homes. But recently, there have been advisories that warn candle aficionados to be more mindful of how they use candles. This is because they’ve been found to have adverse effects on indoor quality if they’re not properly tended to. For example, soot from burning candles, especially scented candles, is a contributor to indoor ultrafine particles, or UFPs. This is a material that can cause health concerns if not properly addressed. Nevertheless, this is an issue that can be easily solved. HVAC replacement contractors share some steps you can take to improve indoor air quality immediately:
Avoid poor ventilation. Burning candles in poorly-ventilated rooms is bad. When you really want to burn a candle, make sure that you crack your windows or doors to let some of the smoke from the candles out of your room.
Choose the right candles. Paraffin candles usually contain a lot of chemicals, as well as candles with a metal insert. Choose natural candles made of beeswax, or ask HVAC repair companies about the candles yo’ve been using if you want to make sure.
Maintain the candle wick. Candle wicks, if left long and burned, produce too much soot, which can accumulate indoors. Buy candles with a thin wick and trim them to ¼ inch before lighting them up.
Restrict use. You don’t have to burn candles for longer than an hour or two, and even that long isn’t advisable.
Get an air purifier. If you’re really worried about the air quality that you get when you burn candles, investing in an air purifier can put your mind at ease. Air purifiers can filter the majority of indoor pollutants, maybe even more than those that you’ll get from burning candles in the room.
Turn to Dependable Heating & Air Conditioning for professional AC repair and installation. Give us a call at (707) 247-2887 or fill out our contact form to set up an appointment.