Why an Energy-Efficient Home Can Impact Air Quality and How to Make It Better 

Homes today are constructed with energy efficiency in mind. This involves added insulation and tightly sealed doors and windows to keep heating and cooling costs affordable. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so fantastic for your indoor air quality. 

Because air has decreased chances to escape, contaminants can increase and impact your residence’s indoor air quality. In actuality, your residence’s air can actually be 2–5 times worse than the outdoors, according to the EPA. That’s not good for anyone, but it’s particularly detrimental for loved ones with allergies, asthma, other respiratory concerns or heart disease. 

Let’s review some of these everyday contaminants and how you can enhance your residence’s indoor air quality. 

6 Routine Pollutants that Affect Indoor Air Quality 

When you envision pollutants, you may think about smog or tobacco smoke. But lots of substances that impact your air quality are everyday substances. These things contain chemicals called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. 

They involve: 

1. Cleaning products, like aerosol sprays, bleach and window cleaner. 

2. Personal care products, like hairspray, perfume and nail products. 

3. Candles and air fresheners. 

4. Formaldehyde, which is frequently used in plastic, foam and particleboard products. 

5. Furniture, window treatments and carpet, particularly when they’re brand new. 

6. Paints and stains. 

Other everyday 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 bad situations, the EPA says VOCs are linked to respiratory and heart diseases. 

4 Ways to Enhance Your House’s Indoor Air Quality 

It isn’t hard to boost your residence’s air quality. Here are a couple of ideas from Harvard Medical School: 

1. Clean Your Home Often 

Routinely cleaning and washing surfaces that attract allergens, like furniture, carpet and bedding, will help decrease on dust, dust mites and pet dander in your residence. 

2. Frequently Replace Your Air Filter 

This essential filter keeps your residence comfortable and air fresh. How often you should change your air filter depends on the kind of filter you have. Flat filters should be changed every month, while pleated filters should be changed every three months. If you don’t know if your filter should be changed, pull it out and hold it up to the light. Get a new one if you can’t see light through it. 

If someone in your household deals with allergies or asthma, we suggest having a filter with a better MERV rating. The higher the number this is, the better your filter is at eliminating contaminants. 

3. Maximize Natural Ventilation 

Keep fresh air moving by opening windows whenever the temperature allows. We also suggest running exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen frequently to get rid of pollutants and draw in more fresh air. 

4. Chat Our Indoor Air Quality Pros 

From whole-home air purifiers, Broad Ripple Service Experts has a fix to help your household breathe better. We’ll help you find the ideal option during your free home comfort assessment. Reach us at 317-527-0271 to book yours now!