If you’re questioning whether your Carpentersville home has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it likely 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 houses could be 2–5 times more contaminated than outdoors, which may create long-term health problems.

Most Common Sources of Bad IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most frequent causes of poor IAQ, the problems they cause and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your residence, we advise chatting with a specialist like Controlled Comfort HVAC about which products are best for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

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

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

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

When these vapors accumulate inside, they may irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They might also result in headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your home is in a rural or industrial area, an EPA study found indoor levels of these pollutants can be 2–5 times greater than the air outside your home.

Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when using paint or cleaning supplies. Opening a window can help odors disperse faster.

Air purification systems can also better your air. This unit partners with your heating and cooling system to freshen indoor air. When seeking one, ensure it’s specifically designed to eradicate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

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

This equipment hooks to your heating and cooling equipment to provide powerful filtration. Some kinds have hospital-level filtration for removing particles and bioaerosols.

Lasting Odors

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

Stale odors can hang around for a greater amount of time because your residence is pulling in a smaller amount of fresh air. Because keeping your windows open all the time isn’t a possibility, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell fresher.

An air purification system is installed in your HVAC system to wipe out odors before they are redistributed. Look for one with a carbon filter and the power to wipe out harmful VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your household healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

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

Unsteady Humidity

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

Our techs suggest 40–50% for ideal comfort. To keep yours in balance, consider getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your heating and cooling equipment.

Rather than having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this equipment delivers even humidity around your house.

Carbon Monoxide

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

It causes an extreme health risk. In low levels, it can cause flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It can be lethal in large amounts.

We recommend annual furnace maintenance to ensure your unit is running like it should. This work allows our technicians to see 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 get detectors. These alarms should be on all floors by bedrooms and living spaces.

Better Your Residence’s Air Quality with the Controlled Comfort HVAC Professionals

Aware that your house 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 224-412-8308 or contact us online now. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you locate the best option for your home and budget.