If you’re uncertain whether your Newark home has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it likely 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 worse than outdoors, which may create long-term health problems.
Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ
We’ve compiled a list of the most common causes of inferior IAQ, the issues they create and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your home, we recommend chatting with a specialist like Luikart Heating & Cooling about which solutions are a good fit for your home.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals leaked by common household items.
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 might irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They can also lead to 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 greater than the air outside.
Always use the manufacturer’s guidelines when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Cracking a window can help chemicals disperse faster.
Air purification systems can also improve your air. This equipment partners with your heating and cooling system to freshen indoor air. When looking for a system, 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 redistributed by your residence’s comfort unit. While you can vacuum more frequently and install an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better match.
This unit hooks to your HVAC equipment to give strong filtration. Some types have hospital-level filtration for removing particles and bioaerosols.
Lasting Odors
Newer homes are closely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility expenses, it’s not ideal for your IAQ.
Stale odors can hang around for a greater amount of time as your home is pulling in less fresh air. Because keeping your windows open throughout the year isn’t doable, here are two methods you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.
An air purification system is placed in your HVAC system to eliminate odors before they recirculate. Look for one with a carbon filter and the power to wipe out dangerous VOCs. These units can also help keep your household healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.
A ventilation system removes stuffy indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air. There are two types of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more details on which solution is best for your residence.
Uneven Humidity
It’s critical your house’s humidity stays even. Air that’s too humid can cause mold, while dry air can create respiratory troubles.
Our specialists suggest 40–50% for the best comfort. To keep yours in balance, think over getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your heating and cooling equipment.
Rather than having to lug a humidifier from room to room, this product 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 units, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.
It causes a serious health risk. In small levels, it can lead to flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It could be fatal in heavy concentrations.
We advise yearly furnace maintenance to double-check your system is operating properly. This work allows our specialists to discover troubles before they start, including malfunctions that can create 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.
Enhance Your Residence’s Air Quality with the Luikart Heating & Cooling Specialists
Informed that your residence has bad air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which option is best for you? Give our friendly HVAC pros a call at 740-344-5497 or contact us online today. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you locate the ideal solution for your needs and budget.