If you’re questioning whether your Sandpoint house has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.

We are indoors a lot. In fact, we’re indoors 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 issues.

Most Common Origins of Bad IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most common sources of bad IAQ, the troubles they cause and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re concerned about the air inside your home, we suggest chatting with a professional like Age Heating & Cooling about which products are best for your family.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals released by regular household things.

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

Always use the manufacturer’s guidelines when painting or cleaning. Unlatching a window can help odors disappear faster.

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

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can trigger health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continuously gets moved by your home’s comfort unit. While you can vacuum more routinely and buy an improved air filter, an air filtration system might be a better fit.

This unit hooks to your comfort equipment to deliver powerful filtration. Some models have hospital-level filtration for removing particles and bioaerosols.

Lingering Odors

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

Stale odors can stay 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 year-round isn’t an option, here are two methods you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is placed in your ducts to eliminate odors before they get released again. Find one with a carbon filter and the ability to eliminate dangerous VOCs. These systems can also help keep your family healthy by eliminating most bacteria and common allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system removes stale indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air. There are two types of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more info on which type is best for your home.

Uneven Humidity

It’s essential your home’s humidity remains even. Air that has too much moisture can cause mold, while dry air can create respiratory troubles.

Our pros suggest 40–50% for the best comfort. To keep yours even, think about getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your HVAC system.

In place of having to drag a humidifier from room to room, this equipment delivers balanced humidity throughout 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 serious health risk. In small levels, it can lead to flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It could be deadly in large concentrations.

We suggest annual furnace maintenance to ensure your unit is running smoothly. This job allows our techs to find issues before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

The best way to keep your residence free of carbon monoxide is to put in detectors. These alarms must be on each floor by bedrooms and living spaces.

Improve Your Home’s Air Quality with the Age Heating & Cooling Experts

Know that your home has poor air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which product is right for you? Give our approachable HVAC professionals a call at 208-603-2210 or contact us online right away. With free estimates and pro support, we’ll help you choose the best equipment for your needs and budget.