If you’re questioning whether your Reinholds residence has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it probably 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 houses could be 2–5 times worse than outdoors, which could create long-term health concerns.

Most Common Origins of Bad IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most common causes of inferior IAQ, the issues they cause and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your residence, we suggest chatting with a specialist like County Line Mechanical LLC about which options are ideal for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are fumes emitted from regular household products.

They’re found in paint and stains along with:

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

When these chemicals accumulate inside, they can 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 space, an EPA study found indoor levels of these pollutants can be 2–5 times higher than the air outside.

Always adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Unlatching a window can help vapors dissipate faster.

Air purification systems can also help. This unit partners with your heating and cooling unit to clean indoor air. When looking for a model, ensure it’s specifically designed to wipe out VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

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

This equipment hooks to your heating and cooling equipment to provide powerful filtration. Some models offer hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.

Persistent Odors

New residences are closely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy costs, it’s not so good for your IAQ.

Stuffy odors can stick around for a greater amount of time since your house is pulling in a smaller amount of fresh air. Since keeping your windows open all year-round isn’t doable, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is put in your ducts to neutralize odors before they recirculate. Search for one with a carbon filter and the capability to wipe out damaging VOCs. These units can also help keep your loved ones healthy by wiping out most bacteria and common allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system removes stuffy indoor air and replaces it with clean outdoor air. There are two types of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more information on which solution is right for your home.

Uneven Humidity

It’s critical your house’s humidity stays even. Air that’s too moist can create mold, while dry air can lead to respiratory issues.

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

Instead of having to drag a humidifier from room to room, this equipment delivers even humidity around 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 creates a serious health risk. In little levels, it can lead to flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It can be deadly in large amounts.

We suggest yearly furnace maintenance to make sure your equipment is operating properly. This work allows our technicians to find troubles before they begin, including malfunctions that can lead to carbon monoxide leaks.

The best approach to keep your home free of carbon monoxide is to put in detectors. These alarms need to be on every floor near bedrooms and living areas.

Enhance Your Home’s Air Quality with the County Line Mechanical LLC Professionals

Aware that your home has poor air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which product is best for you? Give our approachable HVAC professionals a call at 717-216-0846 or contact us online right away. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you choose the right option for your home and budget.