People spend most of their time in their homes, so it is important to pay attention to the quality of the air you’re breathing within your home. Poor air quality can contribute to health issues such as asthma and allergies, or even worse conditions in cases where the air quality is especially bad. While it is impossible for you to control the amount of air pollution outside your home, there is plenty you can do to control indoor air quality. Before you take steps to increase the quality of the air in your home, there are ways of identifying which indoor contaminants you’re dealing with and finding ways to get rid of them.
Testing the Air Quality in Your Home
One of the easiest ways to find out the quality of the air in your home is to purchase an indoor air quality monitor. This won’t solve any of the problems on it’s own, but it will help guide you to diagnosing which aspects of your home may be contributing to the poor air quality. By monitoring levels of indoor air pollution, you can take steps to get fresh air back into your home, and hopefully, a little peace of mind with it.
Look for air quality sensors that provide the following air quality measurements.
- Humidity: Indicates potential for mold growth.
- Temperature
- VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds): These are chemical pollutants identified by the EPA as potential sources of indoor air quality problems and come from building materials, carpeting, etc.
- Levels of particulate matter: This is the level of dust and other allergens present in the air.
- Air Quality Index: A measurement of air quality the EPA uses to determine the risk of health problems associated with indoor and outdoor pollution.
Many air quality monitors will also include additional information such as the outdoor air quality, or double as a carbon monoxide detector.
The EPA Ranks Indoor Air Pollution as a Top 5 Environmental Danger
Over the past several years, the Environmental Protection Agency has consistently ranked indoor air pollution as one of the most concerning environmental dangers we all face daily. This is primarily because the sources of pollution are everywhere in our home. In fact, the EPA estimates that our indoor air has nearly 5x as many pollutants than outdoor air. Some homes may even have 100x more pollutants.
What are the Most Common Indoor Air Pollutants?
The EPA has conducted several studies which prove that indoor air pollution is a problem for all types of homes regardless of where it is located. The most commonly discovered sources of indoor air pollution include combustion sources, building materials, chemical products, organic matter, and outdoor air pollution which makes its way indoors.
A more comprehensive list of indoor air pollutants includes:
- Allergens (pollen, pet dander, mold spores)
- Bacteria, mold, and germs
- Household chemicals, paints, solvents, and car fumes (if you have an attached garage
- Humidity imbalances both too humid and too dry can cause issues in your home
- Secondhand smoke from tobacco products
A top of the line indoor air quality system can help remove these pollutants from the air in your home, which will leave it feeling cleaner and you and your family will not have to worry about any negative health issues. Contact Coastal Refrigeration today to discuss our expert indoor air quality services.
Get an Air Purification System For Your Home
Air purifiers help asthma and allergy sufferers by removing particulate matter from the air. At Coastal Refrigeration Corp, we install and maintain RGF’s REME HALO Air Purification System and PremiereOne Air Purifiers for residential and commercial customers in Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex County, NJ.