Why an Energy-Efficient House Can Decrease Air Quality and How to Make It Better
Homes today are designed with energy efficiency in mind. This involves added insulation and tightly sealed doors and windows to keep energy bills reasonable. While this is good for your heating and cooling bill, it’s not so great for your indoor air quality.
As air has fewer chances to escape, pollutants can increase and decrease your house’s indoor air quality. In fact, your home’s air can actually be 2–5 times more polluted than the outdoors, according to the EPA. That’s not good for anyone, but it’s especially detrimental for loved ones with allergies, asthma, other respiratory disorders or heart disease.
Let’s go over some of these everyday pollutants and how you can enhance your home’s indoor air quality.
6 Routine Pollutants that Impact Indoor Air Quality
When you visualize pollutants, you might think about smog or tobacco smoke. But many substances that impact your air quality are everyday items. These things have chemicals called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
They include:
- Cleaning products, like aerosol sprays, bleach and window cleaner.
- Personal care products, such as hairspray, perfume and nail products.
- Candles and air fresheners.
- Formaldehyde, which is frequently used in plastic, foam and particleboard products.
- Furniture, window treatments and carpet, especially when they’re brand new.
- Paints and stains.
Other everyday pollutants include:
- Dust
- Pet dander
- Pollen
- Mold
Symptoms of VOC Exposure
Some people are more influenced by VOCs than others. The EPA says symptoms of VOC exposure involve:
- Irritated eyes, nose or throat
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
In extreme instances, the EPA says VOCs can cause respiratory and heart diseases.
4 Ways to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
It isn’t hard to enhance your residence’s air quality. Here are a few suggestions from Harvard Medical School:
1. Clean Your Residence Regularly
Frequently cleaning and washing surfaces that attract allergens, such as furniture, carpet and bedding, will help cut down on dust, dust mites and pet dander in your house.
2. Regularly Change Your Air Filter
This important filter keeps your residence comfortable and air healthy. How often you should change your air filter depends on the type of filter you install. Flat filters should be changed monthly, while pleated filters should be changed every three months. If you’re unsure if your filter should be replaced, take it out and tilt it to the light. Replace it if you can’t see light through it.
If someone in your house suffers from allergies or asthma, we suggest choosing a filter with a better MERV rating. The greater the number this is, the better your filter is at removing contaminants.
3. Enhance Natural Ventilation
Keep fresh air moving by opening windows whenever the temperature allows. We also suggest running exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen frequently to remove pollutants and introduce more fresh air.
4. Talk with Our Indoor Air Quality Pros
From whole-home air purifiers, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning has a resolution to help your family breathe more easily. We’ll help you choose the ideal option during your free home comfort assessment. Contact us at 954-736-4314 to schedule yours now!
