Why an Energy-Efficient House Can
Influence Air Quality and How to Enhance It
Homes today are built with energy efficiency in mind. This entails added insulation and tightly sealed doors and windows to keep heating and cooling expenses down. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so good for your indoor air quality.
Because air has decreased chances to escape, pollutants can increase and affect your house’s indoor air quality. In fact, your house’s air can actually be 2–5 times more polluted than the outdoors, according to the EPA. That’s not good for anyone, but it’s specifically detrimental for family members with allergies, asthma, other respiratory conditions or heart disease.
Let’s review some of these routine substances and how you can enhance your house’s indoor air quality.
6 Common Pollutants that Influence Indoor Air Quality
When you visualize pollutants, you may think about smog or tobacco smoke. But many substances that affect your air quality are normal items. These things contain chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
They include:
- Cleaning products, such as aerosol sprays, bleach and window cleaner.
- Personal care products, like hairspray, perfume and nail products.
- Candles and air fresheners.
- Formaldehyde, which is frequently used in plastic, foam and particleboard products.
- Furniture, window treatments and carpet, specifically when they’re brand new.
- Paints and stains.
Other typical 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 extreme cases, the EPA says VOCs can cause respiratory and heart diseases.
4 Ways to Improve Your Residence’s Indoor Air Quality
It isn’t hard to enhance your home’s air quality. Here are a few suggestions from Harvard Medical School:
1. Clean Your Residence Regularly
Routinely cleaning and washing surfaces that attract allergens, such as furniture, carpet and bedding, will help reduce on dust, dust mites and pet dander in your home.
2. Regularly Replace Your Air Filter
This important filter keeps your house cozy and air fresh. How often you should change your air filter depends on the model of filter you have. Flat filters should be swapped monthly, while pleated filters should be replaced every three months. If you’re unsure if your filter should be swapped, take it out and angle it to the light. Replace it if you can’t see light through it.
If someone in your family suffers from allergies or asthma, we recommend having a filter with a higher MERV rating. The bigger the number this is, the better your filter is at removing contaminants.
3. Improve Natural Ventilation
Keep fresh air circulating by opening windows whenever the weather allows. We also recommend turning on exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen regularly to eliminate pollutants and draw in more fresh air.
4. Call Our Indoor Air Quality Pros
From whole-home air purifiers, Rob's Albertan Service Experts has a solution to help your loved ones breathe more easily. We’ll help you find the best option during your free home comfort assessment. Give us a call at 780-800-9047 to schedule yours right away!
