HVAC Expert Reveals Top Indoor Air Quality Mistakes Homeowners Make

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

Depending on the season, homeowners need to regularly adjust their thermostat settings to keep their home comfortable. Because the weather is pleasant at certain times of year, people can open the windows and depend on their HVAC system less. Meanwhile, summer and winter may cause trouble for indoor air quality (IAQ) because the temperature extremes require keeping the home closed off—to retain the air conditioning during summer and the heating in winter.

You’ll find it’s easier to have good indoor air quality if you watch out for common mistakes that many homeowners fall into. Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing Chief Operating Officer Cary Reed discussed these mistakes and how to avoid them.

Not Changing Air Filters Consistently Enough

Changing your air filters lessens the dust particles and airborne contaminants hiding in your home. For family members with allergies, failure to change air filters frequently could aggravate symptoms like sneezing, watery eyes or even result in trips to the doctor. To make sure you are employing the most suitable filter for your particular system and air quality needs, learn the basics about the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value ratings system, commonly shortened to MERV, Reed said.

“It’s a simple 1 to 20 scale, so ratings in the center of that range are usually the better home filters,” Reed said. “And, if you haven’t always been on time with filter replacement, I’d consider scheduling duct cleaning service too. Once that’s done, create a system to remind you when it’s time to change the filters.”

Ignoring HVAC Maintenance

Overlooking preventive HVAC maintenance is another common misstep toward compromising your indoor air quality, Reed added. An HVAC system annual checkup makes sure it continues to deliver comfort effectively and helps to lower the risk of needing major repairs in the future. In addition to checking drain lines and the refrigerant supply, tune-ups will also include thoroughly cleaning coils and heating elements wherever air passes through before making its way through vents into your home. If a system isn’t running like it should, dust or moisture can build up and it may become the starting point for unwanted air particles making it inside.

Using Products that Pollute the Air Unknowingly

Homeowners are often shocked to discover that common household products could be compromising their health and air quality. Here are a few ways in particular that homeowners could be affecting their indoor air quality without knowing it. The first is by using harsh cleaners that emit fumes and what are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Whenever possible, select a green cleaner instead, Reed suggested.

“Candles are another common air contaminant,” Reed said. “Even if you really prefer to have candles in the home, this is not the best option. I even caution against many air fresheners.”

Another way people contaminate their home’s air quality inadvertently is with indoor plants that may cause allergy symptoms. The Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) is a basic 1 to 10 scale that is widely used to assess a plant’s potential for worsening symptoms for allergy sufferers.

“There are certain types that are considered great indoor plants like ferns, ivy, fig and yuccas, but they also are known to lead to more allergy symptoms. It’s a good idea to look into it before adding a bunch of indoor plants,” Reed said.

Overlooking Mold and Humidity Problems

Too much humidity in a home can promote mold and bacteria growth, which in turn can negatively affect indoor air quality. If you find a plumbing leak and water is starting to stain or damage the walls or another area of your home, fix it as soon as you can, Reed insisted. Humidity is often when the growth of mold begins, particularly when you reside in a warmer part of the country.

If you keep noticing a musty smell coming from somewhere, that’s a sign that moisture is trapped and unable to evaporate. Some homes also face issues with either too much or too little moisture in the air, which may require evening out humidity levels with a whole-house humidifier or dehumidifier system, Reed added.

Not Taking the Opportunity to Open Windows When the Weather Is Mild

While it’s certainly more difficult to crack open the windows right in the middle of a cold snap, there is still much of the year when cracking open a few windows for fresh air is helpful. Not only does it benefit in-home air quality as a whole, but it helps reduce radon levels. Radon is a radioactive gas naturally emitted from soil. In fact, buying a basic detector to monitor gas levels is a valuable investment, since high radon exposure is the cause of roughly 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually, according to the CDC.

To get fresh air into your home when it’s cold outside, take advantage of midday temperature highs to slightly open the windows in rooms and other spaces. And for summer, use the early morning hours when it’s cooler to refresh your home’s stagnant air with fresh air from outdoors, Reed suggested.

Not Exploring Technology and Services that Can Have an Immediate Impact 

Regardless of whether your home has “problem air” because of excess humidity levels, mold, bacteria and other airborne particles, there are still lots of solutions, outlined the HVAC pro.

One option includes installing germicidal UV light lamps, installing them inside the HVAC system to eliminate bacteria, viruses and other microbes within seconds. Other homeowners benefit most from ventilation systems that exchange stagnant indoor air for fresh air, or whole-home air purifiers that can ensure a constant flow of fresh, clean air all year.

“Your local indoor air quality specialists can also conduct testing to help you fully understand the depth of the problem,” Reed said. “Just as you should keep up with HVAC system maintenance, ignoring these problems only makes them more severe in the future. The good news is there are many ways to address air quality concerns.”

For details on how to reach peak indoor air quality, visit ServiceExperts.com/indoor-air-quality or schedule your HVAC maintenance right away.