If you’re questioning whether your Bloomfield residence has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it likely does.

We are indoors a lot. In fact, we’re in a building up to 90% of the time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And the air inside houses could be 2–5 times worse than outdoors, which could create long-term health issues.

Most Common Origins of Bad IAQ

We’ve made a list of the most ordinary causes of inferior IAQ, the issues they cause and how you can remedy these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your residence, we advise chatting with a expert like Stanford Heating & Cooling about which solutions are best for your house.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors leaked by regular household things.

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

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

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

Always follow the manufacturer’s directions when using paint or cleaning supplies. Cracking a window can help fumes disappear faster.

Air purification systems can also improve your air. This equipment partners with your heating and cooling unit to freshen indoor air. When looking for a model, ensure it’s specifically made to eradicate 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 home’s comfort equipment. While you can vacuum more routinely and get an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better solution.

This solution hooks to your heating and cooling equipment to deliver strong filtration. Some models provide hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.

Lingering Odors

Modern houses are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling bill, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

Musty odors can hang around for a greater amount of time since your house is pulling in a smaller amount of fresh air. Because keeping your windows open all the time isn’t a possibility, here are two approaches you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is installed in your HVAC system to eliminate odors before they are redistributed. Search for one with a carbon filter and the ability to eliminate harmful VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your family healthy by wiping out most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system removes stale indoor air and substitutes it with fresh outdoor air. There are two models of systems (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more information on which type is ideal for your home.

Unbalanced Humidity

It’s essential your home’s humidity remains even. Air that’s too moist can create mold, while dry air can create respiratory troubles.

Our pros suggest 40–50% for ideal 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 equipment delivers balanced humidity across your house.

Carbon Monoxide

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

It produces a serious health risk. In small levels, it can cause flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It could be deadly in big concentrations.

We advise annual furnace maintenance to double-check your system is operating properly. This job allows our techs to pinpoint troubles before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can lead to carbon monoxide leaks.

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

Enhance Your Home’s Air Quality with the Stanford Heating & Cooling Experts

Aware that your home has bad air quality but not sure how to make it better? Or unsure which product is right for you? Give our kind HVAC experts a call at 812-825-8695 or contact us online today. With free estimates and pro service, we’ll help you locate the best equipment for your home and budget.