If you’re questioning whether your Lodi house has unhealthy indoor air quality (IAQ), it likely does.

We are indoors a lot. In 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 polluted than outdoors, which may create long-term health issues.

Most Common Origins of Poor IAQ

We’ve compiled a list of the most common sources of inferior IAQ, the issues they cause and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re concerned about the air inside your house, we recommend chatting with a specialist like Tokay about which products are a good fit for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals emitted from 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 indoors, they may irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They may also cause headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your house is in a rural or industrial space, an EPA study found indoor levels of these chemicals can be 2–5 times greater than the air outside.

Always adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Unlatching a window can help vapors disappear faster.

Air purification systems can also better your air. This equipment partners with your heating and cooling system to freshen indoor air. When hunting for a model, ensure it’s specifically made to wipe out VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can trigger health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continuously gets redistributed by your house’s comfort unit. While you can vacuum more frequently and buy an improved air filter, an air filtration system may be a better solution.

This unit hooks to your heating and cooling equipment to provide powerful filtration. Some models have hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.

Lasting Odors

Modern residences are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy expenses, it’s not ideal 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 the time isn’t an option, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell fresher.

An air purification system is installed in your ducts to wipe out odors before they are redistributed. Find one with a carbon filter and the ability to wipe out harmful VOCs. These units can also help keep your household healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and normal allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out stuffy indoor air and exchanges it with fresh outdoor air. There are two types of equipment (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more info on which solution is right for your home.

Unsteady Humidity

It’s important your house’s humidity remains even. Air that’s too moist can cause mold, while dry air can cause respiratory troubles.

Our professionals suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours in balance, think over getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your HVAC equipment.

In place of having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this solution delivers balanced humidity around your house.

Carbon Monoxide

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

It creates an extreme health risk. In small levels, it can cause flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It can be lethal in large levels.

We advise annual furnace maintenance to make sure your equipment is running smoothly. This service allows our techs to find problems before they get bigger, including malfunctions that can create carbon monoxide leaks.

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

Better Your House’s Air Quality with the Tokay Experts

Aware that your house has poor air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which product is ideal for you? Give our kind HVAC professionals a call at 209-257-3156 or contact us online today. With free estimates and expert support, we’ll help you find the right solution for your needs and budget.