If you’re uncertain whether your Manassas home has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it likely does.

We are indoors a lot. As a matter of fact, we’re inside up to 90% of the time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And the air inside houses could be 2–5 times more contaminated than outdoors, which could create long-term health issues.

Most Common Sources of Bad IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most frequent causes of bad IAQ, the issues they cause and how you can remedy these indoor air pollutants. If you’re worried about the air inside your residence, we advise talking with a professional like Fire & Ice HVAC about which products are a good fit for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are vapors leaked by common household items.

They’re found in paint and stains along with:

  • Furniture
  • Carpet
  • Building materials
  • Cleaning products
  • Cosmetics
  • Air fresheners
  • Candles

When these fumes accumulate inside, they may irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They can also cause headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your home is in a rural or industrial location, an EPA study found indoor levels of these chemicals can be 2–5 times higher than the air outside.

Always use the manufacturer’s directions when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Cracking a window can help vapors disappear faster.

Air purification systems can also improve your air. This unit partners with your heating and cooling equipment to clean indoor air. When seeking a model, ensure it’s specifically created to wipe out VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can aggravate health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continually gets recirculated by your residence’s comfort unit. While you can vacuum more regularly and install an improved air filter, an air filtration system might be a better solution.

This unit hooks to your comfort equipment to provide strong filtration. Some kinds have hospital-level filtration for eliminating particles and bioaerosols.

Persistent Odors

Newer residences are closely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

Stuffy odors can hang around for a greater amount of time because your house is pulling in less fresh air. Because keeping your windows open all the time isn’t an option, here are two methods you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is put in your ductwork to wipe out odors before they are redistributed. Look for one with a carbon filter and the ability to wipe out damaging VOCs. This equipment can also help keep your household healthy by wiping out most bacteria and normal allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out musty indoor air and exchanges it with clean outdoor air. There are two kinds of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more info on which type is right for your home.

Unsteady Humidity

It’s essential your home’s humidity keeps even. Air that’s too moist can cause mold, while dry air can cause respiratory concerns.

Our pros suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours in balance, think about getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your comfort unit.

Rather than having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this product delivers balanced humidity across your house.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It’s a byproduct of insufficient combustion in fuel-burning units, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It causes an extreme health risk. In low levels, it can create flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It may be deadly in heavy concentrations.

We recommend regular furnace maintenance to double-check your equipment is working like it should. This service allows our specialists to pinpoint problems before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can lead to carbon monoxide leaks.

The best approach to keep your residence free of carbon monoxide is to get detectors. These alarms need to be on every floor close to bedrooms and living rooms.

Improve Your House’s Air Quality with the Fire & Ice HVAC Pros

Informed that your residence has bad air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which option is ideal for you? Give our approachable HVAC pros a call at 703-595-4157 or contact us online right away. With free estimates and professional service, we’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your home and budget.