If you’re questioning whether your Pflugerville home has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it likely does.

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

Most Common Causes of Bad IAQ

We’ve compiled a list of the most common causes of inferior IAQ, the problems they make and how you can remedy these indoor air pollutants. If you’re concerned about the air inside your house, we recommend consulting with a pro like Evenaire Heating & Air Conditioning about which solutions are a good fit for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are fumes leaked by regular household items.

They’re found in paint and stains along with:

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

When these chemicals accumulate inside, they can irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They might also cause 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 outdoors.

Always adhere to the manufacturer’s directions when painting or cleaning. Cracking a window can help chemicals disappear faster.

Air purification systems can also improve your air. This equipment partners with your heating and cooling equipment to improve indoor air. When hunting for a model, ensure it’s specifically designed to wipe out VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can irritate health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continuously gets moved by your house’s comfort equipment. While you can vacuum more frequently and get an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better solution.

This solution hooks to your comfort equipment to provide strong filtration. Some models provide hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.

Lingering Odors

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

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

An air purification system is placed in your ducts to wipe out odors before they get released again. Look for one with a carbon filter and the power to eliminate harmful VOCs. These units can also help keep your family healthy by eliminating most bacteria and normal allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system removes musty indoor air and exchanges it with fresh outdoor air. There are two models of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so call our professionals for more details on which type is best for your home.

Unsteady Humidity

It’s critical your house’s humidity remains even. Air that’s too moist can create mold, while dry air can create respiratory troubles.

Our techs suggest 40–50% for the best comfort. To keep yours steady, think about getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your heating and cooling equipment.

In place of having to lug a humidifier from room to room, this solution delivers even humidity across 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 poses a severe health risk. In low levels, it can create flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It could be deadly in large levels.

We suggest regular furnace maintenance to make sure your equipment is working like it should. This service allows our professionals to discover problems before they begin, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

The best method to keep your home free of carbon monoxide is to get detectors. These alarms need to be on each floor close to bedrooms and living areas.

Better Your Home’s Air Quality with the Evenaire Heating & Air Conditioning Experts

Aware that your residence has bad air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which solution is right for you? Give our friendly HVAC experts a call at 512-355-1482 or contact us online today. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you find the best solution for your family and budget.