If you’re unsure whether your Mechanicsburg home has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it likely does.
We are indoors a lot. In fact, we’re in a building up to 90% of the time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And the air inside residences could be 2–5 times more contaminated than outdoors, which might result in long-term health problems.
Most Common Causes of Bad IAQ
We’ve compiled a list of the most common causes of inferior IAQ, the troubles they cause and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re concerned about the air inside your home, we suggest talking with a pro like H & H Service Company about which options are ideal for your house.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors emitted from common household products.
They’re found in paint and stains along with:
- Furniture
- Carpet
- Building materials
- Cleaning products
- Cosmetics
- Air fresheners
- Candles
When these chemicals build up inside, they can irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They can also cause headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your house is in a rural or industrial area, an EPA study found indoor levels of these fumes can be 2–5 times higher than the air outside your home.
Always adhere to the manufacturer’s directions when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Cracking a window can help fumes dissipate more rapidly.
Air purification systems can also make it better. This unit collaborates with your heating and cooling unit to clean indoor air. When hunting for a model, make sure it’s specifically made to wipe out VOCs.
Dust and Pet Dander
Dust and pet dander can irritate health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continuously gets moved by your residence’s heating and cooling unit. While you can vacuum more routinely and buy an improved air filter, an air filtration system may be a better fit.
This solution connects with your comfort unit to give mighty filtration. Some kinds provide hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.
Persistent Odors
Newer homes are closely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy expenses, it’s not ideal for your IAQ.
Musty odors can stick around for an extended amount of time since your home is drawing in a smaller amount of fresh air. As keeping your windows open all year round isn’t doable, here are two approaches you can make your indoor air smell better.
An air purification system is installed in your ducts to wipe out odors before they get released again. Search for one with a carbon filter and the power to eliminate harmful VOCs. These units can also help keep your loved ones healthy by eliminating most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.
A ventilation system pulls out musty indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air. There are two kinds of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our techs for more details on which solution is ideal for your home.
Unsteady Humidity
It’s important your home’s humidity keeps steady. Air that has too much moisture can create mold, while dry air can create respiratory concerns.
Our technicians recommend 40–50% for the best comfort. To keep yours in balance, think about getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your comfort system.
Instead of having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this equipment delivers balanced humidity across your house.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It’s a byproduct of unfinished combustion in fuel-burning equipment, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.
It creates an extreme health risk. In little amounts, it can cause flu-like ailments like headaches and nausea. It can be deadly in big amounts.
We advise annual furnace maintenance to ensure your system is operating properly. This work allows our techs to find problems before they start, including malfunctions that can create carbon monoxide leaks.
The best approach to keep your house free of carbon monoxide is to install detectors. These alarms should be on every floor close to bedrooms and living spaces.
Better Your Residence’s Air Quality with the H & H Service Company Experts
Aware that your home has bad air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which solution is a good fit for you? Give our approachable HVAC pros a call at 717-220-4502 or contact us online now. With free estimates and professional support, we’ll help you choose the ideal solution for your home and budget.