If you’re unsure whether your Rapid City house has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it probably does.

We are indoors a lot. In fact, we’re inside up to 90% of the time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And the air inside homes could be 2–5 times more contaminated than outdoors, which might create long-term health problems.

Most Common Sources of Poor IAQ

We’ve made a list of the most frequent causes of inferior IAQ, the problems they cause and how you can take care of these indoor air pollutants. If you’re concerned about the air inside your residence, we suggest chatting with a pro like Street Heating and Cooling about which products are ideal for your home.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are fumes emitted from common household products.

They’re found in paint and stains as well as:

  • Furniture
  • Carpet
  • Building materials
  • Cleaning products
  • Cosmetics
  • Air fresheners
  • Candles

When these vapors accumulate indoors, they might irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They might also cause headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your home is in a rural or industrial space, an EPA study found indoor levels of these pollutants can be 2–5 times greater than the air outside.

Always adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions when applying paint or spraying cleaning products. Opening a window can help fumes dissipate faster.

Air purification systems can also help. This system partners with your heating and cooling equipment to enhance indoor air. When looking for one, ensure it’s specifically created to eliminate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can trigger health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continually gets redistributed by your home’s comfort system. While you can vacuum more regularly and get an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better match.

This unit hooks to your HVAC equipment to provide powerful filtration. Some models have hospital-level filtration for getting rid of particles and bioaerosols.

Persistent Odors

New residences are closely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not very good for your IAQ.

Stale odors can hang around for a greater amount of time because your residence is pulling in less fresh air. Since keeping your windows open all the time isn’t a possibility, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell better.

An air purification system is put in your HVAC system to neutralize odors before they get released again. Find one with a carbon filter and the power to eliminate harmful VOCs. These units can also help keep your loved ones healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system pulls out stuffy indoor air and exchanges it with crisp outdoor air. There are two models of units (heat recovery and energy recovery), so ask our professionals for more details on which type is best for your home.

Unsteady Humidity

It’s important your home’s humidity stays even. Air that’s too humid can create mold, while dry air can lead to respiratory issues.

Our techs suggest 40–50% for top comfort. To keep yours even, consider getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your comfort equipment.

In place of having to pull a humidifier from room to room, this product delivers consistent humidity throughout your house.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It’s caused by insufficient combustion in fuel-burning equipment, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It creates an extreme health risk. In small levels, it can lead to flu-like symptoms like headaches and nausea. It could be deadly in big levels.

We advise yearly furnace maintenance to ensure your system is working properly. This job allows our techs to find problems before they begin, including malfunctions that can lead to carbon monoxide leaks.

The best method to keep your house free of carbon monoxide is to get detectors. These alarms need to be on each floor close to bedrooms and living spaces.

Enhance Your Home’s Air Quality with the Street Heating and Cooling Professionals

Know that your house has inferior air quality but not sure how to enhance it? Or unsure which product is right for you? Give our friendly HVAC pros a call at 605-206-3915 or contact us online right away. With free estimates and expert assistance, we’ll help you locate the ideal solution for your home and budget.