If you’re uncertain whether your Troy residence has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.

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

Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ

We’ve compiled a list of the most ordinary origins of poor IAQ, the problems they make and how you can remedy these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your residence, we recommend chatting with a specialist like Edington Heating & Cooling Inc about which solutions are best for your house.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are fumes leaked by regular household things.

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

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

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

Always use the manufacturer’s guidelines when painting or cleaning. Cracking a window can help fumes disperse faster.

Air purification systems can also better your air. This equipment partners with your heating and cooling equipment to improve indoor air. When seeking a model, ensure it’s specifically designed to eliminate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can trigger health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continuously gets redistributed by your home’s comfort equipment. While you can vacuum more routinely and buy an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better solution.

This equipment hooks to your comfort equipment to deliver mighty filtration. Some kinds have hospital-level filtration for removing particles and bioaerosols.

Lasting Odors

Modern residences are closely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility costs, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

Musty odors can stick around for a greater amount of time since your home is pulling in less fresh air. As keeping your windows open all year-round isn’t doable, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell fresher.

An air purification system is installed in your ducts to eliminate odors before they are redistributed. Search for one with a carbon filter and the power to break down dangerous VOCs. These units can also help keep your loved ones healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and common allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system removes stale indoor air and substitutes it with fresh outdoor air. There are two types of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more info on which kind is ideal for your house.

Unsteady Humidity

It’s critical your home’s humidity keeps even. Air that’s too humid can cause mold, while dry air can create respiratory concerns.

Our experts suggest 40–50% for ideal comfort. To keep yours in balance, think about getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your heating and cooling system.

Instead of having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this product delivers even humidity throughout your house.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It’s a byproduct of insufficient combustion in fuel-burning units, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

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

We recommend yearly furnace maintenance to double-check your equipment is running like it should. This work allows our professionals to discover issues before they begin, including malfunctions that can lead to carbon monoxide leaks.

The best approach to keep your residence free of carbon monoxide is to put in detectors. These alarms should be on every floor close to bedrooms and living rooms.

Enhance Your House’s Air Quality with the Edington Heating & Cooling Inc Specialists

Aware that your residence has bad air quality but not sure how to make it better? Or unsure which option is best for you? Give our approachable HVAC professionals a call at 937-558-9478 or contact us online now. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you choose the best equipment for your family and budget.