If you’re unsure whether your Dresden home has poor indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly 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 might create long-term health concerns.

Most Common Origins of Unsatisfactory IAQ

We’ve compiled a list of the most ordinary origins of inferior IAQ, the troubles they make and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your home, we advise talking with a professional like McFadden Heating & Cooling about which options are a good fit for your family.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are fumes leaked by everyday household things.

They’re found in paint and stains along with:

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

When these chemicals accumulate indoors, they may irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They can also result in headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your residence 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 use the manufacturer’s instructions when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Unlatching a window can help vapors dissipate faster.

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

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can trigger health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continuously gets moved by your home’s comfort system. While you can vacuum more regularly and buy an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better solution.

This equipment hooks to your comfort equipment to provide mighty filtration. Some kinds offer hospital-level filtration for removing particles and bioaerosols.

Lingering Odors

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

Stale 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 cleaner.

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 capability to wipe out damaging VOCs. These units can also help keep your family healthy by wiping out most bacteria and normal allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out stale indoor air and substitutes it with fresh outdoor air. There are two kinds of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more info on which solution is best for your house.

Unsteady Humidity

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

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

Rather than having to lug a humidifier from room to room, this solution delivers consistent humidity throughout your house.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It occurs when there’s insufficient combustion in fuel-burning equipment, 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 large levels.

We recommend yearly furnace maintenance to make sure your system is operating like it should. This work allows our specialists to pinpoint problems before they start, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

The best method to keep your home free of carbon monoxide is to get detectors. These alarms should be on each floor by bedrooms and living rooms.

Better Your Residence’s Air Quality with the McFadden Heating & Cooling Pros

Informed that your home has poor air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which option is a good fit for you? Give our approachable HVAC experts a call at 1-866-781-0111 or contact us online today. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you locate the right solution for your home and budget.