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

We are indoors a lot. In fact, we’re inside 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 polluted than outdoors, which might create long-term health problems.

Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ

We’ve compiled a list of the most frequent origins of bad IAQ, the problems they create and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your house, we suggest talking with a expert like Scott Temperature about which solutions are ideal for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals leaked by regular household things.

They’re found in paint and stains in addition to:

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

When these fumes accumulate indoors, they may irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They might also result in headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your house is in a rural or industrial location, an EPA study found indoor levels of these chemicals can be 2–5 times higher than the air outdoors.

Always adhere to the manufacturer’s directions when using paint or cleaning supplies. Cracking a window can help odors disperse faster.

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

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can aggravate health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it constantly gets recirculated by your residence’s comfort system. While you can vacuum more regularly and get an improved air filter, an air filtration system may be a better match.

This solution hooks to your comfort equipment to provide powerful filtration. Some models provide hospital-level filtration for removing particles and bioaerosols.

Lingering Odors

Modern residences are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling bill, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

Musty odors can stick around for a greater amount of time because your residence is pulling in reduced fresh air. Because keeping your windows open all year-round isn’t doable, here are two methods you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is placed in your ducts to neutralize odors before they are redistributed. Look for one with a carbon filter and the power to eliminate dangerous VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your family healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out stale indoor air and substitutes it with crisp outdoor air. There are two models of systems (heat recovery and energy recovery), so ask our professionals for more details on which type is ideal for your house.

Unsteady Humidity

It’s important your residence’s humidity remains even. Air that’s too humid can cause mold, while dry air can create respiratory troubles.

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

Instead of having to lug a humidifier from room to room, this solution delivers consistent humidity around your house.

Carbon Monoxide

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

It poses an extreme health risk. In little levels, it can lead to flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It can be deadly in big concentrations.

We advise regular furnace maintenance to double-check your equipment is working like it should. This work allows our professionals to discover issues before they start, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

The best way to keep your residence free of carbon monoxide is to install detectors. These alarms should be on every floor by bedrooms and living spaces.

Enhance Your House’s Air Quality with the Scott Temperature Specialists

Informed that your residence has bad air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which option is a good fit for you? Give our approachable HVAC specialists a call at 785-269-0465 or contact us online today. With free estimates and expert service, we’ll help you choose the best solution for your home and budget.