Why an Energy-Efficient Home Can Impact Air Quality and How to Make It Better
Houses today are constructed with energy efficiency in mind. This involves added insulation and tightly sealed doors and windows to keep heating and cooling costs reasonable. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so good for your indoor air quality.
Because air has decreased chances to escape, contaminants can accumulate and impact your residence’s indoor air quality. In reality, your house’s air can actually be 2–5 times more unhealthy 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 concerns or heart disease.
Let’s go over some of these routine contaminants and how you can improve your residence’s indoor air quality.
6 Common Pollutants that Affect Indoor Air Quality
When you picture pollutants, you may think about smog or tobacco smoke. But lots of substances that impact your air quality are normal substances. These things have chemicals called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
They entail:
- Cleaning products, like aerosol sprays, bleach and window cleaner.
- Personal care products, including 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 affected by VOCs than others. The EPA says symptoms of VOC exposure entail:
- Irritated eyes, nose or throat
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
In bad cases, the EPA says VOCs can lead to respiratory and heart diseases.
4 Ways to Enhance Your House’s Indoor Air Quality
It isn’t hard to boost your residence’s air quality. Here are a couple of ideas from Harvard Medical School:
1. Clean Your House Frequently
Regularly cleaning and washing surfaces that attract allergens, including furniture, carpet and bedding, will help cut down on dust, dust mites and pet dander in your house.
2. Regularly Replace Your Air Filter
This essential filter keeps your house cozy and air healthy. How often you should change your air filter depends on the kind of filter you have. Flat filters should be replaced every month, while pleated filters should be replaced every three months. If you’re not sure if your filter should be replaced, remove it and angle it to the light. Get a new one if you can’t see light through it.
If someone in your household deals with allergies or asthma, we recommend having a filter with a better MERV rating. The bigger the number this is, the better your filter is at eliminating contaminants.
3. Enhance Natural Ventilation
Keep fresh air circulating by opening windows whenever the temperature allows. We also recommend running exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen frequently to get rid of pollutants and draw in more fresh air.
4. Call Our Indoor Air Quality Pros
From whole-home air purifiers, Epperson Service Experts has a fix to help your household breathe better. We’ll help you find the ideal option during your free home comfort assessment. Give us a call at 843-619-3781 to request yours now!