
If you’re unsure whether your Albuquerque house has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.
We are indoors a lot. As a matter of fact, we’re inside up to 90% of the time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And the air inside residences could be 2–5 times more polluted than outdoors, which can create long-term health concerns.
Most Common Origins of Bad IAQ
We’ve made a list of the most frequent sources of poor IAQ, the issues they make and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your residence, we suggest chatting with a pro like Tru Air Systems LLC about which options are ideal for your family.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors emitted from 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 indoors, they might 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 space, an EPA study found indoor levels of these chemicals can be 2–5 times greater than the air outside your home.
Always adhere to the manufacturer’s directions when using paint or cleaning supplies. Unlatching a window can help odors disappear faster.
Air purification systems can also improve your air. This unit partners with your heating and cooling system to clean indoor air. When looking for a model, ensure it’s specifically created to eliminate 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 house’s comfort system. 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 provide powerful filtration. Some types have hospital-level filtration for removing particles and bioaerosols.
Lasting Odors
Modern houses are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy bill, it’s not very good for your IAQ.
Stale odors can hang around for a greater amount of time since your home is pulling in reduced fresh air. Since keeping your windows open all the time isn’t doable, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.
An air purification system is installed in your HVAC system to wipe out odors before they get released again. Find one with a carbon filter and the capability to eliminate harmful VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your family healthy by wiping out most bacteria and common 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 systems (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more info on which solution is ideal for your house.
Unbalanced Humidity
It’s critical your house’s humidity remains even. Air that’s too moist can create mold, while dry air can create respiratory concerns.
Our pros 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.
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 caused by insufficient combustion in fuel-burning equipment, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.
It causes a serious health risk. In low levels, it can create flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It may be lethal in big amounts.
We advise yearly furnace maintenance to double-check your equipment is operating smoothly. This work allows our specialists to pinpoint troubles before they start, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.
The best approach to keep your residence free of carbon monoxide is to get detectors. These alarms need to be on all floors close to bedrooms and living spaces.
Improve Your Home’s Air Quality with the Tru Air Systems LLC Pros
Know that your residence has bad air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which option is a good fit for you? Give our friendly HVAC professionals a call at 505-226-3525 or contact us online now. With free estimates and professional support, we’ll help you locate the right solution for your family and budget.