If you’re questioning whether your West Valley City home has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it probably does.

We are indoors a lot. As a matter of 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 contaminated than outdoors, which might create long-term health problems.

Most Common Sources of Unsatisfactory IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most ordinary sources of poor IAQ, the issues they make and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your house, we suggest talking with a professional like Select Comfort Systems about which products are ideal for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are fumes released by everyday household products.

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 might irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They can also result in headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your home is in a rural or industrial space, an EPA study found indoor levels of these chemicals can be 2–5 times higher than the air outside.

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

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

Dust and Pet Dander

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

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

Lingering Odors

New residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not ideal for your IAQ.

Stale odors can hang around for a greater amount of time because your home is pulling in less fresh air. Since keeping your windows open all year-round isn’t a possibility, here are two approaches you can make your indoor air smell fresher.

An air purification system is put in your HVAC system to wipe out odors before they are redistributed. Find one with a carbon filter and the capability to wipe out dangerous VOCs. These units can also help keep your family healthy by eliminating most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out stuffy indoor air and replaces it with crisp outdoor air. There are two models of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more details on which kind is ideal for your residence.

Unsteady Humidity

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

Our specialists suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours steady, think about getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your HVAC unit.

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

Carbon Monoxide

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

It poses an extreme health risk. In low levels, it can create flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It could be deadly in large amounts.

We suggest annual furnace maintenance to ensure your equipment is working smoothly. This work allows our techs to pinpoint troubles before they begin, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

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

Improve Your House’s Air Quality with the Select Comfort Systems Experts

Know that your house has poor air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which product is ideal for you? Give our approachable HVAC specialists a call at 801-305-4777 or contact us online now. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you locate the best equipment for your needs and budget.