If you’re questioning whether your Odessa residence has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it probably does.
We are indoors a lot. In reality, 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 contaminated than outdoors, which may create long-term health concerns.
Most Common Causes of Bad IAQ
We’ve made a list of the most common sources of bad IAQ, the issues they create and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your home, we recommend chatting with a specialist like Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning about which solutions are best for your home.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors emitted from common 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 indoors, they might irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They might also create headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your residence 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 outdoors.
Always use the manufacturer’s guidelines when painting or cleaning. Cracking a window can help chemicals disappear faster.
Air purification systems can also improve your air. This unit partners with your heating and cooling unit to clean 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 regularly and get an improved air filter, an air filtration system may be a better fit.
This unit hooks to your comfort equipment to provide strong filtration. Some types have hospital-level filtration for removing particles and bioaerosols.
Lingering Odors
Modern homes are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling bill, it’s not very good for your IAQ.
Stuffy odors can stick around for a greater amount of time since your home is pulling in a smaller amount of fresh air. Since keeping your windows open all the time isn’t a possibility, here are two methods you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.
An air purification system is put in your ductwork to wipe out odors before they get released again. Search for one with a carbon filter and the ability to break down damaging VOCs. These systems can also help keep your family healthy by eliminating most bacteria and normal allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.
A ventilation system pulls out stale indoor air and exchanges it with crisp outdoor air. There are two kinds of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more info on which kind is right for your home.
Uneven Humidity
It’s important your home’s humidity remains even. Air that has too much moisture can lead to mold, while dry air can lead to respiratory concerns.
Our specialists suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours in balance, consider getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your heating and cooling unit.
Instead of having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this solution delivers consistent 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 presents a severe health risk. In small levels, it can create flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It may be lethal in heavy concentrations.
We recommend yearly furnace maintenance to double-check your system is working like it should. This job allows our pros to pinpoint problems 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 should be on all floors near bedrooms and living spaces.
Better Your Home’s Air Quality with the Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning Pros
Know that your house has poor air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which solution is best for you? Give our approachable HVAC professionals a call at 432-237-0168 or contact us online right away. With free estimates and pro service, we’ll help you choose the best equipment for your family and budget.
