If you’re questioning whether your Reinholds home has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.

We are indoors a lot. As a matter of 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 polluted than outdoors, which might create long-term health issues.

Most Common Causes of Poor IAQ

We’ve compiled a list of the most common origins of inferior IAQ, the issues they create and how you can remedy these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your house, we recommend chatting with a specialist like County Line Mechanical LLC about which options are best for your family.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors emitted from everyday 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 inside, they may irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They might also lead to headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your home is in a rural or industrial area, an EPA study found indoor levels of these chemicals can be 2–5 times greater than the air outside your home.

Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when using paint or cleaning supplies. Cracking a window can help fumes disperse faster.

Air purification systems can also improve your air. This equipment partners with your heating and cooling equipment to clean indoor air. When hunting for a system, ensure it’s specifically designed to wipe out VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

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

This solution hooks to your HVAC equipment to deliver powerful filtration. Some kinds provide hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.

Lingering Odors

New residences are tightly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy costs, it’s not ideal for your IAQ.

Musty odors can hang around for a greater amount of time because your residence is pulling in a smaller amount of fresh air. Because keeping your windows open all the time isn’t doable, here are two approaches you can make your indoor air smell fresher.

An air purification system is placed in your ductwork to wipe out odors before they are redistributed. Find one with a carbon filter and the ability to wipe out damaging VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your household healthy by eliminating most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out stuffy indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air. There are two types of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so ask our professionals for more info on which kind is right for your residence.

Unsteady Humidity

It’s critical your house’s humidity keeps even. Air that’s too humid can lead to mold, while dry air can create respiratory symptoms.

Our specialists suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours even, consider getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your comfort equipment.

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

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It occurs when there’s insufficient combustion in fuel-burning appliances, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It produces a serious health risk. In low levels, it can lead to flu-like ailments like headaches and nausea. It can be lethal in large amounts.

We recommend annual furnace maintenance to make sure your system is operating like it should. This job allows our technicians to see troubles before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

The best approach to keep your home free of carbon monoxide is to get detectors. These alarms need to be on every floor by bedrooms and living rooms.

Better Your Residence’s Air Quality with the County Line Mechanical LLC Pros

Informed that your home has inferior air quality but not sure how to make it better? Or unsure which solution is best for you? Give our friendly HVAC pros a call at 717-216-0846 or contact us online right away. With free estimates and pro assistance, we’ll help you choose the best solution for your family and budget.