If you’re questioning whether your Menomonie and western Wisconsin home has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.

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

Most Common Causes of Unsatisfactory IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most common origins of poor IAQ, the troubles they create and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your home, we suggest chatting with a expert like Halverson Brothers Inc about which solutions are a good fit for your family.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors released by regular household products.

They’re found in paint and stains along with:

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

When these chemicals accumulate in your home, they can irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They may also lead to headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your house is in a rural or industrial space, an EPA study found indoor levels of these pollutants can be 2–5 times greater than the air outdoors.

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

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

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can irritate health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it constantly gets redistributed by your home’s comfort equipment. While you can vacuum more regularly and install 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 kinds provide hospital-level filtration for eliminating particles and bioaerosols.

Persistent Odors

New homes are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not ideal for your IAQ.

Stale odors can hang around for a greater amount of time as your residence is pulling in reduced fresh air. As keeping your windows open throughout the year isn’t a possibility, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell better.

An air purification system is put in your ductwork to neutralize odors before they are redistributed. Find one with a carbon filter and the capability to wipe out damaging VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your household healthy by wiping out most bacteria and common allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out stale indoor air and exchanges it with clean outdoor air. There are two models of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more information on which kind is ideal for your residence.

Uneven Humidity

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

Our pros suggest 40–50% for ideal comfort. To keep yours steady, think over getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your HVAC system.

Instead of having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this product delivers balanced humidity across your house.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It’s a byproduct of insufficient combustion in fuel-burning equipment, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It poses a severe health risk. In small levels, it can lead to flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It can be lethal in large amounts.

We suggest annual furnace maintenance to make sure your equipment is running like it should. This work allows our professionals to discover issues before they start, including malfunctions that can create carbon monoxide leaks.

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

Improve Your House’s Air Quality with the Halverson Brothers Inc Professionals

Informed that your house has inferior air quality but not sure how to make it better? Or unsure which product is ideal for you? Give our friendly HVAC professionals a call at 715-352-4052 or contact us online today. With free estimates and professional service, we’ll help you locate the right solution for your home and budget.