Common Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality

Many homeowners lack knowledge about the influence of indoor air quality on their health. If you routinely experience symptoms of poor air quality, such as headaches, coughing, and skin irritation, finding and eliminating the cause is crucial.

Factors Contributing to Poor Indoor Air Quality

There are many items in your home that you wouldn’t expect to impact your indoor air quality. Gaining information on these common causes will help you minimize indoor air contaminants and enhance the air you breathe.

1. Natural Pollutants

Your HVAC system is a catch-all for viruses, mold, dust, and pet dander. This accumulation leads to poor indoor air quality because your heating and cooling system circulates these particles throughout your home.

Cleaning and maintaining your home will help reduce unwanted contaminants. However, having a technician trained in indoor quality services routinely inspect and maintain your HVAC system can minimize buildup.

2. Asbestos

Older buildings contain a common construction material called asbestos, which poses considerable risks to your health. It can also be found in ceiling and floor tiles, as well as paint. Fortunately, the United States prohibited use of this material in the late 1980s.

If you have a newer home, it’s likely that asbestos isn’t an issue. Consulting with a trained HVAC technician can help determine whether your home contains asbestos.

3. Household Products

Household cleaning products and artificial fragrances have substances that can affect the people in your home. Choosing environmentally friendly solutions minimizes the presence of such headache-inducing chemicals.

4. Appliance-Generated Pollutants

You use fuel-burning appliances daily to heat your home and cook. Wood stoves, dryers, and other combustion appliances negatively impact indoor air quality. Reduce unnecessary pollution by upgrading your heating and cooling systems to more energy-efficient devices.

5. Poor Ventilation

Your home’s ventilation system directly impacts indoor air quality. It can prevent fresh air from entering your house if blocked or failing. What’s left is stale, polluted air that you breathe.

6. Dirty Fabrics

Curtains, bedsheets, and rugs collect significant amounts of dirt and dander. Routinely washing and cleaning these fabrics will limit accumulation and help ease symptoms.

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality

You can put several simple measures in place to enhance your home’s air quality. Scheduling indoor air quality testing will help you track the pollution and determine what steps to take.

Regularly cleaning your home’s air ducts will keep them debris-free and prevent mold development. If you smoke, do so outside. This limits the amount of smoke that contributes to poor indoor air quality.

Opening windows throughout the year is one small change you can make to improve the quality of your air indoors. But you can also invest in an air purifier that will produce clean air.

Reduce Polluted Air With Professional HVAC Services 

Making small changes around your home helps minimize indoor pollution. But you can be proactive and hire a professional to test indoor air quality in your home.

Contact a local expert, like Peak Home Performance, for help. Our qualified crew can provide indoor air quality services to ensure your family breathes clean air. Call us today to learn more about what we have to offer.