If you’re unsure whether your Philadelphia residence has poor 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 houses could be 2–5 times more polluted than outdoors, which may create long-term health problems.
Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ
We’ve put together a list of the most frequent sources of poor IAQ, the troubles they cause and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re concerned about the air inside your home, we recommend talking with a pro like Retro HVAC Service & Installation about which options are a good fit for your home.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals emitted from everyday 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 inside, they can irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They may also create headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your home is in a rural or industrial area, an EPA study found indoor levels of these chemicals can be 2–5 times higher than the air outside.
Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when using paint or cleaning supplies. Unlatching a window can help vapors disappear faster.
Air purification systems can also make it better. This equipment partners with your heating and cooling equipment to clean indoor air. When looking for one, ensure it’s specifically created to eliminate VOCs.
Dust and Pet Dander
Dust and pet dander can trigger health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continuously gets redistributed by your house’s comfort unit. While you can vacuum more routinely and get an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better fit.
This equipment hooks to your HVAC equipment to give mighty filtration. Some kinds provide hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.
Lasting Odors
New residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so good for your IAQ.
Musty odors can stay around for a greater amount of time since your home is pulling in less fresh air. As keeping your windows open all year-round isn’t a possibility, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell better.
An air purification system is placed in your ducts to wipe out odors before they get released again. Look for one with a carbon filter and the ability to eliminate damaging VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your household healthy by eliminating most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.
A ventilation system pulls out stuffy indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air. There are two models of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more details on which solution is ideal for your house.
Unsteady Humidity
It’s essential your residence’s humidity stays even. Air that has too much moisture can cause mold, while dry air can create respiratory symptoms.
Our experts suggest 40–50% for ideal comfort. To keep yours steady, think over getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your HVAC unit.
Instead 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’s caused by insufficient combustion in fuel-burning equipment, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.
It creates an extreme health risk. In low levels, it can cause flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It may be deadly in heavy levels.
We suggest regular furnace maintenance to make sure your unit is running properly. This service allows our pros to find troubles before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can lead to carbon monoxide leaks.
The best method to keep your home free of carbon monoxide is to get detectors. These alarms need to be on every floor by bedrooms and living rooms.
Better Your Residence’s Air Quality with the Retro HVAC Service & Installation Experts
Know that your residence has poor air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which option is a good fit for you? Give our friendly HVAC experts a call at 267-277-3851 or contact us online now. With free estimates and professional assistance, we’ll help you find the right option for your home and budget.