If you’re questioning whether your Safford home has poor indoor air quality (IAQ), it likely 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 homes could be 2–5 times worse than outdoors, which may create long-term health issues.

Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ

We’ve made a list of the most ordinary sources of inferior IAQ, the troubles they create and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your home, we advise consulting with a professional like B&D Air Conditioning about which products are ideal for your family.

Volatile Organic Compounds

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

They’re found in paint and stains as well as:

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

When these fumes accumulate inside, they can 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 fumes can be 2–5 times worse than the air outside.

Always use the manufacturer’s directions when painting or cleaning. Opening a window can help vapors disperse faster.

Air purification systems can also make it better. This equipment partners with your heating and cooling equipment to enhance indoor air. When hunting for a model, ensure it’s specifically created to eliminate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

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

This equipment hooks to your heating and cooling equipment to deliver mighty filtration. Some models have hospital-level filtration for eliminating particles and bioaerosols.

Lasting Odors

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

Stuffy odors can stick around for a greater amount of time as your home is pulling in less fresh air. As keeping your windows open all the time isn’t an option, here are two methods you can make your indoor air smell fresher.

An air purification system is installed in your ducts to neutralize odors before they get released again. Find one with a carbon filter and the ability to wipe out dangerous VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your family healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and normal allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out musty indoor air and substitutes it with clean outdoor air. There are two models of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more information on which kind is right for your residence.

Unsteady Humidity

It’s important your house’s humidity remains even. Air that’s too humid can create mold, while dry air can create respiratory issues.

Our professionals suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours in balance, think over getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your comfort equipment.

Instead of having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this equipment delivers balanced humidity across your house.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It’s caused by insufficient combustion in fuel-burning appliances, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It causes a severe health risk. In small levels, it can cause flu-like ailments like headaches and nausea. It may be lethal in large concentrations.

We advise annual furnace maintenance to ensure your unit is working properly. This service allows our pros to discover issues before they start, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

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

Improve Your Residence’s Air Quality with the B&D Air Conditioning Specialists

Know that your house has inferior air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which product is ideal for you? Give our friendly HVAC experts a call at 928-432-6018 or contact us online today. With free estimates and pro support, we’ll help you choose the right solution for your family and budget.