Your health is the best indicator of your home’s indoor air quality. However, when you experience symptoms like congestion, sneezing, watery eyes and headaches, you usually don’t associate these with the quality of air inside your home. Instead, you blame it on weather changes and allergies.
If you notice that these symptoms keep recurring, you might want to take a hard look at your home’s indoor air quality. Sometimes indoor air can be more polluted than the air outside, so you have to watch out for various signs that will tell you when your indoor air quality is poor.
In this post, trusted cooling and heating service provider Bill Reynolds Heating & Air Conditioning lists some of the other signs to look out for.
Dust buildup on surfaces and around vents. If significant amounts of dust collect on various surfaces in your home or if your HVAC air vents are covered in dust, you should be concerned about your indoor air quality. Dust buildup often indicates an excess of dust mites, pollen and pet dander — which can aggravate allergy symptoms and make breathing difficult for an asthmatic. Typically, this issue can be addressed by upgrading or regularly changing your air filter.
Unpleasant odors. If a stale or stuffy smell begins greeting you every time you enter your home, you’re probably dealing with mold and mildew growths already, as these are the usual culprits behind earthy odors that linger in a room. Of course, mold and mildew are never good for indoor air quality, so make sure to address the root cause of mold and mildew growth in your home.
Air conditioning repair experts also warn about other kinds of smells that you may encounter in your home. Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) come from carpets, paint, new furniture and cleaning products and release harmful chemicals into the air. So if something doesn’t smell right and you can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, you should ask a professional to help you identify the problem.
Humidity issues. The relative humidity in your home should be from 35-50% in order to maintain comfort and prevent the growth of microorganisms. If the humidity is too low, you may notice the warping of wood furniture and structural components. If the humidity is too high, on the other hand, your home will become prone to mold, mildew and microbe growth. Invest in a good humidifier and dehumidifier to keep the relative humidity in your home at an ideal level.
Bill Reynolds Heating & Air Conditioning has been in the industry since 1958, providing top-notch services to various clients in the area. We carry out a range of jobs including furnace installation, indoor air quality testing, plumbing and more. Call us at (440) 946-7863 or fill out our contact form to request a quote.
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