If you’re uncertain whether your Milledgeville and Middle Georgia residence 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 residences could be 2–5 times more contaminated than outdoors, which could create long-term health issues.

Most Common Sources of Unsatisfactory IAQ

We’ve put together a list of the most ordinary causes of bad IAQ, the issues they make and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re troubled by the air inside your house, we recommend chatting with a professional like Air Concepts of Middle Georgia about which solutions are ideal 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 in addition to:

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

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

Always adhere to the manufacturer’s directions when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Cracking a window can help odors dissipate faster.

Air purification systems can also help. This unit partners with your heating and cooling system to clean indoor air. When looking for a system, ensure it’s specifically created to eliminate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

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

This solution hooks to your HVAC equipment to give strong filtration. Some kinds offer hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.

Persistent Odors

Newer houses are closely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling bill, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

Stuffy odors can hang around for a greater amount of time as your home is pulling in less fresh air. Because keeping your windows open all year-round isn’t a possibility, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell fresher.

An air purification system is placed in your ductwork to eliminate odors before they are redistributed. Search for one with a carbon filter and the ability to wipe out damaging VOCs. These systems can also help keep your loved ones healthy by eliminating most bacteria and common allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

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

Unbalanced Humidity

It’s essential your house’s humidity stays even. Air that has too much moisture can cause mold, while dry air can lead to respiratory symptoms.

Our specialists suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours even, consider getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your heating and cooling equipment.

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

Carbon Monoxide

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

It presents an extreme health risk. In small levels, it can cause flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It could be lethal in heavy amounts.

We recommend yearly furnace maintenance to ensure your equipment is operating like it should. This work allows our techs to pinpoint problems before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

The best approach to keep your residence free of carbon monoxide is to put in detectors. These alarms must be on each floor by bedrooms and living spaces.

Improve Your Home’s Air Quality with the Air Concepts of Middle Georgia Specialists

Know that your house has bad air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which option is ideal for you? Give our kind HVAC pros a call at 478-200-5689 or contact us online right away. With free estimates and pro service, we’ll help you choose the ideal solution for your home and budget.