If you’re questioning whether your Crystal and Twin Cities house has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.

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

Most Common Sources of Unsatisfactory IAQ

We’ve compiled a list of the most frequent origins of poor IAQ, the problems 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 expert like GV Heating & Air about which options are ideal for your family.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals emitted from 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 chemicals accumulate inside, they may irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They might also cause 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 outdoors.

Always use the manufacturer’s instructions when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Unlatching a window can help odors disappear faster.

Air purification systems can also make it better. This system partners with your heating and cooling system to improve indoor air. When seeking a system, ensure it’s specifically made to eradicate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

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

This equipment hooks to your HVAC equipment to give powerful filtration. Some models offer hospital-level filtration for eliminating particles and bioaerosols.

Lingering Odors

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

Stuffy odors can hang around for a greater amount of time because your house is pulling in reduced fresh air. Because keeping your windows open all year-round isn’t an option, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell better.

An air purification system is placed in your HVAC system to wipe out odors before they get released again. Look for one with a carbon filter and the capability to wipe out dangerous VOCs. These systems can also help keep your family healthy by wiping out most bacteria and normal allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system takes out musty indoor air and replaces it with clean outdoor air. There are two types of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more info on which solution is right for your home.

Unsteady Humidity

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

Our technicians suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours even, think over getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your heating and cooling equipment.

In place of having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this solution delivers even humidity around 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 produces a severe health risk. In little levels, it can cause flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It can be lethal in large levels.

We advise yearly furnace maintenance to double-check your unit is working smoothly. This work allows our pros to find troubles before they begin, including malfunctions that can create carbon monoxide leaks.

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

Enhance Your Residence’s Air Quality with the GV Heating & Air Specialists

Informed that your home has inferior air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which option is best for you? Give our friendly HVAC experts a call at 763-535-2000 or contact us online today. With free estimates and professional assistance, we’ll help you locate the ideal solution for your family and budget.