Why an Energy-Efficient Home Can
Affect Air Quality and How to Make It Better
Houses today are designed with energy efficiency in mind. This entails more insulation and tightly sealed doors and windows to keep energy costs down. While this is good for your utility expenses, it’s not so good for your indoor air quality.
Since air has fewer chances to escape, chemicals can accumulate and decrease your residence’s indoor air quality. In actuality, 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 family members with allergies, asthma, other respiratory concerns or heart disease.
Let’s go over some of these common contaminants and how you can improve your house’s indoor air quality.
6 Routine Pollutants that Affect Indoor Air Quality
When you visualize pollutants, you could think about smog or tobacco smoke. But lots of substances that influence your air quality are common products. These things have chemicals called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
They include:
- Cleaning products, such as aerosol sprays, bleach and window cleaner.
- Personal care products, such as hairspray, perfume and nail products.
- Candles and air fresheners.
- Formaldehyde, which is commonly 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 sensitive to 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 are linked to respiratory and heart diseases.
4 Ways to Improve Your House’s Indoor Air Quality
It isn’t hard to boost your home’s air quality. Here are a few suggestions from Harvard Medical School:
1. Clean Your Residence Frequently
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. Frequently Switch Your Air Filter
This crucial filter keeps your house comfy and air clean. How often you should change your air filter depends on the style of filter you have. Flat filters should be replaced monthly, while pleated filters should be replaced every three months. If you’re unsure if your filter should be swapped, pull it out and tilt it to the light. Replace it if you can’t see light through it.
If someone in your residence deals with allergies or asthma, we suggest using a filter with a better MERV rating. The bigger the number this is, the better your filter is at getting rid of contaminants.
3. Improve Natural Ventilation
Keep fresh air in your home by opening windows whenever it’s warm enough. We also advise using exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen regularly to eliminate pollutants and draw in more fresh air.
4. Chat Our Indoor Air Quality Pros
From whole-home air purifiers, McKinley Heating Service Experts has a resolution to help your loved ones breathe more freely. We’ll help you choose the right option during your free home comfort assessment. Reach us at 780-800-7092 to request yours right away!
