If you’re unsure whether your Michigan City home has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.

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

Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most frequent sources of inferior IAQ, the problems they cause and how you can remedy these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your home, we advise consulting with a specialist like Paniccia Heating & Cooling about which products are a good fit for your family.

Volatile Organic Compounds

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

They’re found in paint and stains in addition to:

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

When these vapors accumulate inside, 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 location, an EPA study found indoor levels of these chemicals 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 vapors dissipate faster.

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

Dust and Pet Dander

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

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

Persistent Odors

Newer homes are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling 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 throughout the year isn’t doable, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is put in your ductwork to neutralize odors before they are redistributed. Look for one with a carbon filter and the power to break down dangerous VOCs. These units can also help keep your household healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and common allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system takes out musty indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air. There are two kinds of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more info on which solution is ideal for your residence.

Uneven Humidity

It’s critical your house’s humidity stays even. Air that’s too humid can lead to mold, while dry air can lead to respiratory issues.

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

In place of having to lug a humidifier from room to room, this equipment delivers consistent humidity around your house.

Carbon Monoxide

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

It poses a severe health risk. In little levels, it can create flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It may be deadly in big levels.

We advise annual furnace maintenance to ensure your unit is operating smoothly. This job allows our professionals to find 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 get detectors. These alarms need to be on all floors by bedrooms and living rooms.

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

Informed that your residence has inferior air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which solution is right for you? Give our kind HVAC specialists a call at 219-872-2198 or contact us online now. With free estimates and expert service, we’ll help you locate the right equipment for your family and budget.