If you’re unsure whether your Litchfield Park home has poor indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.

We are indoors a lot. As a matter of fact, we’re inside up to 90% of the time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And the air inside houses could be 2–5 times more polluted than outdoors, which could create long-term health problems.

Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ

We’ve compiled a list of the most common sources of inferior IAQ, the problems they cause and how you can remedy these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your house, we recommend talking with a specialist like Cooler Tymes LLC about which solutions are a good fit for your house.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors emitted from common household items.

They’re found in paint and stains in addition to:

  • Furniture
  • Carpet
  • Building materials
  • Cleaning products
  • Cosmetics
  • Air fresheners
  • Candles

When these fumes accumulate inside, they can irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They can also lead to headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your house is in a rural or industrial space, an EPA study found indoor levels of these fumes can be 2–5 times worse than the air outside.

Always use the manufacturer’s instructions when painting or cleaning. Unlatching a window can help chemicals disperse faster.

Air purification systems can also help. This unit partners with your heating and cooling system to improve indoor air. When looking for a system, ensure it’s specifically created to eliminate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can aggravate health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it constantly gets recirculated by your residence’s comfort equipment. While you can vacuum more regularly and buy an improved air filter, an air filtration system might be a better fit.

This equipment hooks to your heating and cooling equipment to provide strong filtration. Some types have hospital-level filtration for eliminating particles and bioaerosols.

Lasting Odors

Modern homes are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so good for your IAQ.

Stale odors can hang around for a greater amount of time since your home is pulling in a smaller amount of fresh air. As keeping your windows open all the time isn’t doable, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is put in your HVAC system to neutralize odors before they get released again. Search for one with a carbon filter and the ability to wipe out 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 takes out musty indoor air and substitutes it with crisp outdoor air. There are two kinds of systems (heat recovery and energy recovery), so ask our professionals for more information on which type is right for your residence.

Unbalanced Humidity

It’s important your house’s humidity stays even. Air that’s too humid can lead to mold, while dry air can create respiratory troubles.

Our specialists suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours in balance, think about getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your HVAC equipment.

Instead of having to drag a humidifier from room to room, this equipment delivers even humidity across your house.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It’s caused by insufficient combustion in fuel-burning equipment, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It poses a severe health risk. In low levels, it can create flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It could be deadly in big concentrations.

We recommend annual furnace maintenance to double-check your equipment is running properly. This job allows our techs to discover issues before they begin, including malfunctions that can lead to carbon monoxide leaks.

The best method to keep your home free of carbon monoxide is to put in detectors. These alarms must be on each floor close to bedrooms and living spaces.

Improve Your House’s Air Quality with the Cooler Tymes LLC Pros

Informed that your house has bad air quality but not sure how to make it better? Or unsure which product is a good fit for you? Give our friendly HVAC professionals a call at 623-208-6444 or contact us online now. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you choose the ideal option for your home and budget.