If you’re questioning whether your Chadron house has poor indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.

We are indoors a lot. As a matter of fact, we’re in a building 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 polluted than outdoors, which may create long-term health concerns.

Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ

We’ve made a list of the most common origins of poor IAQ, the troubles they make and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your residence, we advise consulting with a specialist like MPC Heating & Cooling about which options are best for your family.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals emitted from regular household items.

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 can 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 worse than the air outside.

Always use the manufacturer’s instructions when painting or cleaning. Cracking a window can help odors disperse 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 designed to eliminate 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 house’s comfort system. While you can vacuum more regularly and install an improved air filter, an air filtration system might be a better fit.

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

Lingering Odors

Newer homes are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so good for your IAQ.

Stuffy odors can hang around for a greater amount of time since your home is pulling in a smaller amount of fresh air. Because keeping your windows open all year-round isn’t a possibility, here are two methods you can make your indoor air smell better.

An air purification system is placed in your ducts to wipe out odors before they get released again. Search for one with a carbon filter and the ability to eliminate damaging VOCs. These units can also help keep your household healthy by eliminating most bacteria and normal allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out stale indoor air and replaces it with crisp outdoor air. There are two kinds of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more information on which kind is right for your house.

Unsteady Humidity

It’s critical your home’s humidity stays even. Air that has too much moisture can lead to mold, while dry air can cause respiratory troubles.

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

In place of having to drag a humidifier from room to room, this product delivers even humidity across 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 creates an extreme health risk. In small levels, it can cause flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It could be lethal in large concentrations.

We suggest annual furnace maintenance to double-check your system is working smoothly. This job allows our technicians to find issues before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can create carbon monoxide leaks.

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

Enhance Your House’s Air Quality with the MPC Heating & Cooling Professionals

Informed that your home has poor air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which solution is best for you? Give our kind HVAC professionals a call at 308-832-4321 or contact us online now. With free estimates and professional support, we’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your needs and budget.