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

We are indoors a lot. As a matter of 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 polluted than outdoors, which may create long-term health concerns.

Most Common Causes of Bad IAQ

We’ve made a list of the most frequent causes of bad IAQ, the issues they cause and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your residence, we recommend chatting with a pro like Taylor's Heating & Air Conditioning about which solutions are best for your house.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors released by regular 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 might irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They may also result in headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your house is in a rural or industrial space, an EPA study found indoor levels of these fumes can be 2–5 times higher than the air outside your home.

Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when using paint or cleaning supplies. Opening a window can help fumes dissipate faster.

Air purification systems can also help. This equipment partners with your heating and cooling equipment to clean indoor air. When hunting for a system, ensure it’s specifically made to eradicate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can trigger health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continually gets moved by your house’s comfort unit. While you can vacuum more frequently and get an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better match.

This equipment hooks to your comfort equipment to give powerful filtration. Some types provide hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.

Lasting Odors

Newer residences are tightly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy costs, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

Musty odors can hang around for a greater amount of time because your home is pulling in less fresh air. As keeping your windows open all year-round isn’t a possibility, here are two methods you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is installed in your ductwork to wipe out odors before they recirculate. Look for one with a carbon filter and the ability to eliminate harmful VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your loved ones healthy by wiping out most bacteria and common allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out stale indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air. There are two models of systems (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more details on which kind is ideal for your residence.

Uneven Humidity

It’s important your house’s humidity remains even. Air that’s too humid can cause mold, while dry air can lead to respiratory troubles.

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

Instead of having to lug 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’s caused by insufficient combustion in fuel-burning equipment, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It produces an extreme health risk. In low levels, it can cause flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It can be lethal in heavy concentrations.

We advise yearly furnace maintenance to double-check your equipment is working properly. This job allows our techs to see problems before they start, including malfunctions that can lead to carbon monoxide leaks.

The best approach to keep your residence free of carbon monoxide is to get detectors. These alarms must be on all floors by bedrooms and living rooms.

Enhance Your Residence’s Air Quality with the Taylor's Heating & Air Conditioning Professionals

Know that your residence has bad air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which product is right for you? Give our kind HVAC pros a call at 519-296-4437 or contact us online now. With free estimates and pro assistance, we’ll help you locate the best option for your needs and budget.