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

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

Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ

We’ve compiled a list of the most common origins of bad IAQ, the issues they cause and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your residence, we advise consulting with a pro like Willco Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating Inc. about which solutions are best for your house.

Volatile Organic Compounds

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

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

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

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

Always follow the manufacturer’s directions when painting or cleaning. Opening a window can help fumes disappear faster.

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

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can aggravate health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continuously gets redistributed by your residence’s comfort unit. While you can vacuum more routinely and install an improved air filter, an air filtration system may be a better match.

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

Lingering Odors

New residences are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility bill, it’s not so good for your IAQ.

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

An air purification system is put in your ducts to wipe out odors before they recirculate. Find one with a carbon filter and the power to wipe out damaging VOCs. These units can also help keep your family healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and common allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

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

Unbalanced Humidity

It’s important your residence’s humidity keeps even. Air that’s too moist can create mold, while dry air can lead to respiratory symptoms.

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

In place of having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this solution delivers consistent humidity across your house.

Carbon Monoxide

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

It causes an extreme health risk. In little levels, it can lead to flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It could be deadly in heavy levels.

We advise regular furnace maintenance to ensure your equipment is operating properly. This job allows our technicians to spot issues before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can lead to carbon monoxide leaks.

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

Improve Your Home’s Air Quality with the Willco Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating Inc. Pros

Informed that your house has poor air quality but not sure how to make it better? Or unsure which product is ideal for you? Give our friendly HVAC pros a call at 862-345-6896 or contact us online today. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you find the right solution for your home and budget.