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HVAC Pro Reviews Top Indoor Air Quality Errors Homeowners Commit

Expert Shares Indoor Air Quality Do’s and Don’ts

Depending on the season, homeowners need to regularly modify their thermostat settings to keep their home comfortable. When the weather is mild during spring or fall, homeowners may choose to open their windows and depend on their HVAC system less. However, summer and winter may cause trouble for indoor air quality (IAQ) because the temperature extremes require keeping the home sealed up—to keep the cool air in during summer and the heating in winter.

You’ll find it’s easier to have good indoor air quality if you don’t make common mistakes homeowners can fall into. Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing Chief Operating Officer Cary Reed discussed these errors and how you can avoid them.

Not Changing Air Filters Consistently Enough

It’s crucial to find the right air filter for your particular air quality needs.

Swapping out your air filters minimizes the dust particles and airborne pollutants that lower air quality in your home. For family members with allergies, failure to change air filters consistently could exacerbate sneezing, watery eyes or even require trips to the doctor. To ensure you’re utilizing the right filter for your specific system and situation, familiarize yourself with the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value ratings system, commonly referred to as MERV, Reed suggested.

“It’s a simple 1 to 20 scale, and ratings in the center of that range are usually the higher quality home filters,” Reed said. “And, if you struggle to stay on top of filter changes, I’d also advise a duct cleaning service too. Afterward, set up a system that reminds you when it’s time for air filter replacement”

Neglecting HVAC Maintenance

Skipping routine HVAC maintenance is another common misstep toward compromising your indoor air quality, Reed added. An annual tune-up makes sure it continues to deliver comfort effectively and helps to avoid major repairs at some point. Besides checking drain lines and coolant levels, tune-ups will also include thoroughly cleaning coils and heating elements wherever air passes through before making its way through vents into your home. As long as your HVAC system isn’t running like it should, dust or moisture may accumulate and become the starting point for unwanted air particles making it indoors.

Using Products that Lower the Quality of the Air Unknowingly

To avoid VOCs and chemical pollutants, try only using green cleaners in your home. Getty Images. Posed by Models.

Some homeowners may be taken by surprise when they find out that many common products could be harming their health. Here are a few ways homeowners might be affecting their indoor air quality without noticing. The first is by bringing in aggressive cleaners that give off fumes and what are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). With so many alternatives available, opt for an environmentally friendly cleaner instead, Reed recommended.

“Scented candles are also a common air contaminant,” Reed said. “Even if you want a fresh smell in the home, this is it isn’t the best idea for air quality. I even warn homeowners against using many air fresheners.”

Another way people contaminate their home’s air quality without knowing is with indoor plants that may lead to allergy symptoms. The Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) is a straightforward 1 to 10 scale that is widely used to determine a plant’s potential for creating problems for allergy sufferers.

“There are certain types that are considered ideal indoor plants like ferns, ivy, fig and yuccas, but these plants can also lead to more allergy symptoms. It’s never a bad idea to look into it before selecting indoor plants,” Reed said.

Ignoring Mold and Moisture Problems

Woman changing water container of dehumidifier at home. Dampness in apartment. Modern air dryer technology
Many homes improve indoor air quality with a humidifier or dehumidifier. Getty Images. Posed by Model.

High humidity in a home can encourage mold and bacteria growth, which in turn can negatively affect indoor air quality. If you notice a plumbing leak and water is collecting in the walls or another area of your home, address it as soon as you can, Reed insisted. Humidity is often how the growth of mold starts, especially if you live in a warmer part of the country.

If there is a musty smell in the air, that’s a sign that moisture is trapped in some place. Some homes also encounter issues with either too much or too little moisture in the air, which is often resolved by evening out humidity levels with a whole-house humidifier or dehumidifier system, Reed added.

Not Opening the Windows When Practical

While it’s certainly more tough to keep the windows open right in the middle of a cold snap, there is still much of the year when cracking open a few windows and letting in fresh air is a fast way to refresh stagnant indoor air. Not only does it refresh in-home air quality as a whole, but it will also reduce radon levels. Radon is a radioactive gas naturally emitted from soil. In fact, buying a simple radon detector to monitor gas levels is a prudent investment, since high radon exposure is the cause of roughly 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, as reported by the CDC.

To refresh indoor air even when it’s cold outside, wait until the midday temperature highs to open the windows in rooms and other spaces. In the summer, use the early morning hours when it’s cooler to refresh your indoor air, Reed suggested.

Not Using Technology and Services that Can Help 

Regardless of whether your home has “problem air” due to excess humidity levels, mold, bacteria and other airborne particles, there are many solutions available, detailed the HVAC pro.

Some homeowners turn to germicidal UV light lamps, which are installed inside an HVAC system to kill bacteria, viruses and other microbes before they reproduce. There are also ventilation systems that swap out musty air for fresh air, or whole-home air purifiers that can assure you enjoy a constant flow of fresh, clean air in your home.

“Your local indoor air quality specialists can also conduct testing to help you fully understand the depth of the problem,” Reed said. “Just like with HVAC system maintenance, ignoring these problems only makes them more frustrating to resolve in the future. Thankfully, there are many ways to tackle air quality concerns.”

For details on how to improve your indoor air quality, visit ServiceExperts.com/indoor-air-quality or request HVAC maintenance soon.

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