What Are The Main Factors That Contribute To Poor IAQ?

The key to staying healthy is taking care of your body. Although you may be conscious of the types of food you’re putting into your body and washing your hands, you may be neglecting one of these keys to good health: your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ).

Many symptoms of illness can be caused by poor IAQ, such as cold/flu symptoms, headaches, and dizziness. To improve your home’s IAQ, you’ll first need to understand the main factors that contribute to poor IAQ. At Skelton’s Heating and Cooling, we’ve helped many families in the Birmingham area improve their home’s IAQ. Here are the factors we’ve identified that contribute to indoor air pollution.

Dust

A major contributing factor to poor IAQ is dust. It doesn’t matter if your home is brand new or registered in the historic district of Birmingham — dust is a universal problem. Believe it or not, “dust” isn’t actually a particle in and of itself. In reality, dust is a collection of many small particles, such as dead skin, pet hair, dander and other common indoor air pollutants.

No matter how much you clean, you’ll end up with dust in your home’s air filter. This can contaminate your air and lead to health problems. However, this is easily avoidable through the routine replacement of your air filter and scheduling IAQ testing.

Home Ventilation

If your home has poor ventilation, you may have poor IAQ. When your home doesn’t have enough fresh air circulating, dust builds up more quickly and any fumes or pollutants trapped in your house have no way to cycle out.

Here in Birmingham, leaving a window or two open year-round is a viable option that can help boost your home’s ventilation. However, if your home is seriously stuffy, replacing your home’s ventilation system is worth the consideration.

Viruses And Bacteria

Another contributing factor to poor IAQ is a high concentration of viruses and bacteria. One of the reasons why you may feel sick from your home’s poor IAQ is because, well, you are sick. Poor IAQ can result from a build up of bacteria and viruses in the air. Combined with issues such as a clogged air filter or poor ventilation, this can lead to frequent illness.

High Humidity

Anyone living in Birmingham knows of the woes of outdoor humidity. However, the irritation only intensifies when being inside your home provides no escape from the thick, wet air. Many things can lead to high indoor humidity, such as a leaky pipes or poorly sealed windows and doors.

Humidity creates the perfect environment for mold to grow in your home. The presence of mold can contaminate your air and lead to many health issues. Your home’s IAQ is greatly affected by the presence of mold.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are chemicals released from various household products and materials. In the home, VOCs are often released by products like paint, varnishes, flooring, cleaners, pesticides, craft products, and even air fresheners.

In recently-renovated or new homes, VOCs are a common cause of poor IAQ. Breathing in chemical fumes is never good for you, and it often leads to headaches, dizziness and other unpleasant symptoms.

IAQ Testing In Birmingham

Experiencing poor IAQ in the Birmingham area is easily fixed by contacting Skelton’s Heating and Cooling. Our technicians are well-equipped to perform IAQ testing and diagnose which factors are contributing to your home’s poor IAQ. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!