If you’re uncertain whether your Safford house has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it probably does.

We are indoors a lot. As a matter of fact, we’re inside 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 polluted than outdoors, which may create long-term health problems.

Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ

We’ve made a list of the most common origins of poor IAQ, the problems they make and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your home, we suggest consulting with a pro like B&D Air Conditioning about which solutions are best for your family.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors emitted from everyday household items.

They’re found in paint and stains along with:

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

When these fumes accumulate inside, they may irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They might also cause headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your house is in a rural or industrial space, an EPA study found indoor levels of these pollutants can be 2–5 times higher than the air outside your home.

Always use the manufacturer’s guidelines when painting or cleaning. Opening a window can help chemicals dissipate faster.

Air purification systems can also help. This system partners with your heating and cooling unit to clean indoor air. When hunting for a model, ensure it’s specifically designed to wipe out VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can irritate health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it constantly gets moved by your residence’s comfort equipment. While you can vacuum more frequently and install an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better fit.

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

Lasting Odors

New houses are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your utility bill, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

Musty odors can stay around for a greater amount of time because your home is pulling in less fresh air. Because keeping your windows open all the time isn’t doable, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell fresher.

An air purification system is put 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 systems can also help keep your household healthy by wiping out most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out musty indoor air and exchanges it with crisp outdoor air. There are two kinds of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more details on which solution is ideal for your residence.

Uneven Humidity

It’s essential your residence’s humidity keeps even. Air that’s too humid can lead to mold, while dry air can lead to respiratory troubles.

Our techs 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 pull a humidifier from room to room, this solution delivers balanced humidity across your house.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It occurs when there’s insufficient combustion in fuel-burning units, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It causes an extreme health risk. In low levels, it can cause flu-like ailments like headaches and nausea. It can be deadly in heavy amounts.

We advise annual furnace maintenance to make sure your equipment is running like it should. This work allows our techs to pinpoint problems before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can create carbon monoxide leaks.

The best way to keep your residence free of carbon monoxide is to put in detectors. These alarms should be on all floors near bedrooms and living areas.

Enhance Your Residence’s Air Quality with the B&D Air Conditioning Professionals

Know that your residence has bad air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which solution is best for you? Give our approachable HVAC experts a call at 928-432-6018 or contact us online right away. With free estimates and expert service, we’ll help you choose the best solution for your home and budget.