Maryland homeowners take great pride in their properties. They understand the importance of providing their families with safe and comfortable places to live. However, for a lot of homeowners, it’s easy to disregard indoor air quality and the role it plays in their comfort. Understanding, monitoring, and improving the air you breathe is crucial because poor indoor air quality can have detrimental impacts on your health and well-being. As your reliable HVAC and indoor air quality experts, we’ve put together this detailed guide to help you understand the importance of clean air in your home, how to spot the warning signs of poor air quality, and what instruments and solutions you can use to make the air healthier.
Benefits of Good Indoor Air Quality
There are a number of reasons for Maryland homeowners to improve the quality of air inside their homes. Good indoor air quality not only reduces the presence of airborne pollutants, but it also promotes respiratory health. This is especially advantageous to those with existing allergies or respiratory conditions. Air quality also affects how comfortable your home is. It eliminates unpleasant odors and provides a better living environment.
It’s also worth noting that indoor air quality affects how well you sleep. The dirtier the air, the harder it can be to fall asleep and stay in restful slumber. Poor indoor air quality also makes it difficult to focus, which can affect your productivity levels. Lastly, indoor air quality affects your furnishings and appliances. The dirtier the air is, the harder the HVAC system has to work to keep the home at a comfortable temperature. This can cause the HVAC system to endure lots of unnecessary wear and tear. As a result, poor indoor air quality can end up resulting in costly HVAC repairs and replacements.
Common Indoor Air Pollutants
Indoor air pollutants include a wide range of chemicals that have the potential to degrade the air quality inside dwellings. Allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, and pollen can all cause respiratory problems and allergies when they are present in high enough concentrations. Mildew and mold are health hazards because they multiply in wet places and release spores into the air. A number of common home items, including paints and cleaning materials, release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can irritate the respiratory system and your eyes.
Carbon monoxide, produced as a byproduct of combustion equipment, is a gas that may be lethal in large doses; it is colorless and odorless. A radioactive gas known as radon can seep into houses via the soil and cause lung cancer if inhaled. It is essential to identify and eliminate these contaminants to have a healthy home environment.
Signs of Poor Indoor Air Quality
When it comes to keeping a home a healthy and pleasant place to live, indoor air quality is paramount. There are a number of warning signals that poor air quality might send your way, and you shouldn’t disregard them. Improving the overall quality of the air you breathe inside the home and addressing any concerns requires you to recognize these indications.
Unpleasant Odors
To a greater or lesser extent, the presence of disagreeable smells is indicative of low indoor air quality. Mustiness, cooking fumes, or mold are all lingering odors that could be a sign of airborne contaminants. The first step in improving air quality and making a room more pleasant to live in is to determine where these smells are coming from and eliminate them.
Respiratory Issues
Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, or worsening allergies are typical symptoms of poor indoor air quality. A variety of airborne pollutants, including dust, pet dander, and mold spores, may aggravate the respiratory system and cause discomfort. You should definitely take action to improve the air quality in your home if you or anybody in your family has chronic respiratory issues.
Visible Mold or Mildew
Surfaces that have mold or mildew growing on them are a clear sign of high humidity and poor air quality in the home. Airborne mold spores are a health concern and a major factor in respiratory issues. To improve air quality and avoid future problems, it is essential to address the source of moisture, improve ventilation, and remove mold.
Excessive Dust Accumulation
Particles of dust, which might include pollutants and allergens, can impact how clean your house is. Excessive dust collection on surfaces, even after frequent cleaning, may indicate poor indoor air quality. To reduce excessive dust, it’s helpful to improve air filtration, use air purifiers and keep the surroundings dust-free.
Feeling Fatigued or Unwell
Indoor air quality might be a problem if you often feel sick to your stomach, lightheaded, or exhausted while you’re indoors. If you breathe in polluted air or have poor ventilation, you can experience these symptoms. If you find that getting outside makes you feel much better, it’s time to make some changes to your inside surroundings.
What Happens During Indoor Air Quality Testing?
To determine how healthy the air is in your house, a professional can do an extensive indoor air quality test. After an initial evaluation of your concerns and any visible problems, qualified experts carry out a comprehensive checkup. During the testing, experts will take air samples from different parts of your house to measure the levels of pollutants, allergens, and other particles in the air. Mold, radon, CO, and VOCs are some of the contaminants that may undergo targeted testing. After taking the samples, they are carefully analyzed to determine the kinds and concentrations of pollutants. Based on their findings, air purifiers, ventilation systems, and humidity controllers are some of the remedies that the experts might suggest to help you achieve better indoor air quality.
Types of Air Quality Monitors
There are several types of air quality sensors that you can use to improve your home’s indoor air quality. These sensors include smoke detectors, VOC detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. VOC detectors help homeowners find and address high levels of VOCs. Carbon monoxide detectors identify the presence of this odorless gas, which can be deadly if left unaddressed.
Benefits of Whole-Home Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers
To create a healthy interior atmosphere and reduce the likelihood of respiratory discomfort and allergies, it is important to maintain regulated humidity levels. Dry skin, congested nasal passages, and static electricity are all things that a humidifier can help you avoid. These gadgets reduce the likelihood of mold and dust mite development by putting moisture into dry air. Dehumidifiers cut down on extra moisture, which means mildew and musty smells are less likely to be an issue. All of these things working in harmony make sure that your house stays at the perfect humidity level, which is good for your health and comfort.
Are you ready to make your home a healthier place to live? If so, Beltway Air Conditioning, Heating, & Plumbing is here to help with our wide variety of indoor air quality services. We can also make your home more comfortable thanks to our heating and cooling services, including duct cleaning. Give us a call today to learn more about improving your Hanover home’s indoor air quality.
