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Taking steps to ensure your home has good indoor air quality (IAQ) is essential for many reasons. Indoor air pollution is a much bigger problem than many people realize and something that affects almost all buildings. Having your home’s air quality tested by a professional is the first step in improving air quality since it allows you to quickly determine what specific issues are present in your house.
1. Protecting Your Family’s Health
One of the biggest concerns in terms of indoor air quality is the presence of potentially harmful pollutants and chemicals such as formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Indoor air pollution is a much bigger problem than it used to be.
One reason is the huge amount of chemicals we now use for so many different things. Cleaning agents, laundry products and especially furniture and building materials typically contain a wide variety of VOCs that continually get released into the air. Some of the biggest culprits are things like dryer sheets, dry-cleaned clothing, varnishes, glues, adhesives, laminate flooring, copiers and printers. Even things like a TV or computer can release VOCs into the air when they’re turned on.
The other factor that contributes to increased indoor air pollution is that modern homes are much more airtight and often don’t have sufficient ventilation. Homes built before the 1970s or 1980s usually have quite a few places where air can flow in and out, meaning all of the air within the house gets replaced fairly often. If you have a newer home that’s poorly ventilated, all of the pollutants get trapped inside and their concentration continually increases.
The main concern with indoor air pollution is that many of the more common pollutants can lead to both short-term and long-term health issues. Some of the short-term issues include frequent headaches, nausea, dizziness and difficulties with concentration. Prolonged exposure to formaldehyde and other common household VOCs can also lead to much more severe health issues like an increased risk of cancer, memory loss and cardiopulmonary problems.
2. Detecting Mold Issues
Many homes have issues like pinhole plumbing leaks or high humidity that lead to mold growing in hidden places. Some types of mold are toxic and can contribute to various health issues when you breathe the spores in. Mold spores are also a severe allergen and can lead to allergic reactions like frequent sneezing, coughing, runny eyes, irritated sinuses, etc. While there are always some mold spores present in the air, an indoor air quality test can usually determine quite accurately if there is mold growing somewhere inside the house. Then, you’ll know if you need to hire a mold remediation company, detect and fix a plumbing leak, or install a whole-home dehumidifier.
3. Ensuring Your House Is Properly Ventilated
An air quality test can also detect elevated levels of various allergens and other contaminants that can cause breathing difficulties. People with severe allergies or ailments like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are obviously most susceptible to issues from poor indoor air quality. Nonetheless, even a perfectly healthy person can experience issues if a house doesn’t have sufficient ventilation. Elevated levels of airborne pollutants are usually a sure sign that a house isn’t properly ventilated and needs some type of mechanical ventilation system.
How Indoor Air Quality Testing Works
An indoor air quality test involves using highly sensitive equipment that can detect the presence and measure the concentration of VOCs, allergens and other pollutants. It can also determine if your home is too humid and at risk of developing issues with mold growth. Based on the results, you can then determine which type of indoor air quality unit will work best for overcoming whatever issues your house has.
Most Effective Options for Improving Indoor Air Quality
Some indoor air quality solutions like a whole-home humidifier or dehumidifier can also help make your home more comfortable. One of the most common options is a whole-home air filtration system such as a media filter or an electronic air cleaner.
A media filter is meant to take the place of the standard air filter in an HVAC system. Standard air filters are 1-inch thick and mostly only filter out large particles like dust and pet hair. This filter helps prevent issues with your heating and air conditioning and ensures they work efficiently and effectively. Higher-rated filters can also trap some smaller particles like pollen, mold spores and pet dander. Nonetheless, they aren’t nearly as effective as a 4- or 5-inch-thick media filter.
A media filter also won’t restrict the airflow coming into your HVAC system nearly as much as a high-efficiency standard filter. If you use a standard filter that’s too efficient, your HVAC system won’t perform nearly as well as it should, and your energy costs will be much higher. It can also lead to your HVAC system not lasting as long or breaking down more frequently. The other advantage of a media filter is that you only need to replace it once or twice a year instead of every two to three months as you do with a standard filter.
Although electronic air cleaners cost a bit more and will lead to a slight increase in your electricity bills, they are usually even more effective than media filters. Media filters are made of a pleated material with extremely small pores or holes in it. The holes allow air to flow through the filter but are small enough to trap a large percentage of airborne particles.
Electronic air cleaners work by producing an electrostatic field. As particles pass through this field, they get either positively or negatively charged. That results in them getting attracted and clinging to metal plates within the air cleaner that are oppositely charged. This allows the air cleaner to remove tiny particles that could otherwise pass through an air filter.
Another effective option for eliminating mold, bacteria and viruses is an ultraviolet (UV) light unit. Some homes have issues with mold spores continually circulating during the summer as a result of mold growing on the AC system’s evaporator coil. This is where a coil-sanitizing UV light can be extremely beneficial since it kills and inhibits mold (and bacteria) growth on the coil. An AC installation and upgrade technician can get it set up quickly, usually within a couple of hours.
The best option for overcoming all of your indoor air quality issues is with a whole-home air purification system. That’s because this type of system typically combines multiple methods of filtration and purification such as both a media filter and a UV light. Some also release charged particles that attract airborne chemicals and either destroy them or alter them into a harmless compound.
Expert Indoor Air Quality Services
If you need any indoor air quality services in Greenville, WI, or the surrounding areas, Black-Haak is here to help. We’ve been in business since 1956 and are the area’s most trusted source for residential and commercial comfort services. We offer a range of excellent options for improving indoor air quality and can also assist with your heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical needs.
To schedule an air quality test and learn more about the ways we can help improve your IAQ, contact us today.
