If you’re unsure whether your Paxinos home has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it likely does.

We are indoors a lot. As a matter of fact, we’re indoors 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 issues.

Most Common Causes of Bad IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most frequent causes of inferior IAQ, the problems they make and how you can remedy these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your residence, we suggest consulting with a professional like LTS Plumbing & Heating Inc. about which products are a good fit for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

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

They’re found in paint and stains along with:

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

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

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

Air purification systems can also better your air. This unit partners with your heating and cooling system to improve indoor air. When hunting for one, ensure it’s specifically created to eradicate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can irritate health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continually gets recirculated by your residence’s comfort equipment. While you can vacuum more frequently and buy an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better fit.

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

Persistent Odors

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

Musty odors can stay around for a greater amount of time since your house is pulling in less fresh air. As keeping your windows open throughout the year isn’t an option, here are two approaches you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is put in your ductwork to wipe out odors before they are redistributed. Search for one with a carbon filter and the capability to wipe out damaging VOCs. These systems 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 takes out stale indoor air and substitutes it with fresh outdoor air. There are two types of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more info on which kind is ideal for your home.

Unsteady Humidity

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

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

In place of having to drag a humidifier from room to room, this equipment delivers even humidity across 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 causes an extreme health risk. In little levels, it can cause flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It may be deadly in big concentrations.

We suggest yearly furnace maintenance to make sure your system is running properly. This work allows our pros to find issues before they start, including malfunctions that can lead to 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 near bedrooms and living spaces.

Enhance Your Residence’s Air Quality with the LTS Plumbing & Heating Inc. Experts

Informed that your residence has inferior air quality but not sure how to make it better? Or unsure which solution is ideal for you? Give our approachable HVAC specialists a call at 570-648-0748 or contact us online now. With free estimates and professional support, we’ll help you find the ideal option for your family and budget.