If you’re uncertain whether your Ballwin and St. Charles residence has bad 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 contaminated than outdoors, which can create long-term health concerns.

Most Common Causes of Unsatisfactory IAQ

We’ve made a list of the most frequent origins of poor IAQ, the issues they create and how you can remedy these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your residence, we suggest chatting with a specialist like Air Alliance Team about which solutions are a good fit for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors emitted from regular household things.

They’re found in paint and stains along with:

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

When these vapors accumulate inside, they may irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They may also create headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your house is in a rural or industrial location, an EPA study found indoor levels of these fumes can be 2–5 times greater than the air outside your home.

Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Unlatching a window can help vapors disappear faster.

Air purification systems can also better your air. This system partners with your heating and cooling equipment to freshen indoor air. When seeking a model, ensure it’s specifically designed to eradicate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

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

This solution hooks to your comfort equipment to give powerful filtration. Some types have hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.

Lasting Odors

New residences are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility expenses, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

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

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

A ventilation system removes stale indoor air and replaces it with clean outdoor air. There are two kinds of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so ask our professionals for more details on which type is right for your residence.

Unbalanced Humidity

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

Our pros suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours in balance, think about getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your heating and cooling unit.

In place of having to pull 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 units, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It presents a severe health risk. In low levels, it can lead to flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It could be deadly in heavy levels.

We suggest annual furnace maintenance to make sure your equipment is working like it should. This service allows our techs to discover troubles before they start, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

The best way to keep your house free of carbon monoxide is to install detectors. These alarms should be on all floors close to bedrooms and living areas.

Enhance Your House’s Air Quality with the Air Alliance Team Pros

Aware that your home has bad air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which option is a good fit for you? Give our kind HVAC professionals a call at 636-206-4250 or contact us online today. With free estimates and expert assistance, we’ll help you choose the best solution for your family and budget.