If you’re uncertain whether your Justin house has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it probably does.

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

Most Common Sources of Unsatisfactory IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most ordinary origins of poor IAQ, the troubles they create and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re concerned about the air inside your home, we advise chatting with a specialist like Pepper AC & Heat about which solutions are best for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors released by regular household products.

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

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

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

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

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

Dust and Pet Dander

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

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

Lasting Odors

Newer homes are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy expenses, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

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

An air purification system is placed in your HVAC system to eliminate odors before they recirculate. Find one with a carbon filter and the ability to eliminate damaging VOCs. These systems can also help keep your family healthy by wiping out most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system removes musty indoor air and substitutes it with clean outdoor air. There are two kinds of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more information on which kind is best for your home.

Unbalanced Humidity

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

Our technicians suggest 40–50% for ideal comfort. To keep yours steady, think about getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your HVAC unit.

Rather than having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this solution delivers even humidity around 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 causes a severe health risk. In little levels, it can create flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It may be fatal in large concentrations.

We recommend yearly furnace maintenance to make sure your unit is working like it should. This work allows our technicians to discover troubles before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can create carbon monoxide leaks.

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

Enhance Your Home’s Air Quality with the Pepper AC & Heat Professionals

Know that your house has poor air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which option is best for you? Give our kind HVAC pros a call at 940-202-1184 or contact us online right away. With free estimates and professional assistance, we’ll help you locate the best option for your home and budget.