How to Test The Air Quality in Your Home: 6 Major Pollutants
Indoor air can be much dirtier than outdoor air, and a lot of people don’t know how to fix that! Fortunately, modern tools have made it easier than ever to improve your indoor air quality and protect your health.
Learning how to test the air quality in your home involves using certain tools that spot specific pollutants. We’ll narrow down the most common offenders, then share solutions on how to keep them at bay year-round.
Need a specialist to measure your indoor air quality? Give us a call to schedule an inspection!
The Top 6 Most Common Indoor Air Pollutants
While your home may feel clean in other areas, indoor air tends to be stagnant and filled with all sorts of irritating pollutants. A 2021 study directly linked filthy indoor air with worsening asthma symptoms, more frequent sick days, and an increased risk for headaches.
Let’s take a look at your indoor air and see what could be causing worsening health.
Dust and Dirt
If you don’t make a regular habit of dusting and vacuuming your home, all this debris has to go somewhere…and it’s usually in the air! These indoor air pollutants are extremely common and irritating, often causing itchy eyes, dry throats, and clogged sinuses.
Chemicals
Learning how to test the air quality in your home can also help you spot the presence of excess chemicals. Everyday products or activities, such as burning coal or using over-the-counter cleaning products with bleach, can contribute significantly to worse indoor air.
Pollen
Do you live in a state that sees a regular pollen season in the spring or early summer? That pollen can sneak through open windows or doorways, eventually accumulating indoors and lingering for days.
Pet Dander and Odor
Even if you’re not allergic to pets, their dander, hair, and odor can gradually make your indoor air quality unpleasant. Dogs tend to be dirtier than indoor cats, and they often track in dirt that can make the air even worse.
Mold and Mildew
Mold isn’t just gross: with regular exposure, it’s very bad for your health. Mold spores can remain indoors indefinitely, building up until they start causing respiratory problems or mold spots.
Viruses and Bacteria
Did you know viruses and bacteria don’t just linger on surfaces, but can hang in stagnant indoor air for several hours? Clean indoor air not only smells fresher, it can reduce the risk of spreading airborne illness when someone in the home is sick.
3 DIY Methods for Testing Indoor Air Quality
You can learn how to test the air quality in your home with all kinds of tools. We recommend the following three indoor air quality testing tools for their higher levels of accuracy and ease of use.
CO2 Monitor
How do you test indoor air quality on a general level? Stagnant indoor air is more likely to have higher levels of pollutants, so CO2 monitors measure the amount of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound that builds up with limited ventilation.
These monitors are easy to read: the lower the number, the fresher your indoor air. Ideal numbers are between 400 and 800 for occupied rooms.
Air Quality Monitor
This generalized monitor measures larger airborne particles like dust, dander, and pollen by tracking particulate matter levels in the air. Homeowners can mount these on the wall or use an air purifier with a monitor.
Mold Testing Kit
If you want to learn how to test indoor air quality, don’t skip out on mold spores. Mold testing kits involve putting out a dish that gradually gathers mold spores in the air, giving you a general idea of the next steps you need to take.
The Importance of Ventilation and Filtration
Figuring out how to check the air quality in your home should go hand in hand with proactive habits. Homes need daily ventilation and filtration to keep indoor air pollutants at low levels.
Ventilation works by bringing in fresh air to dilute and remove indoor pollutants such as dirt, dust, and airborne viruses or bacteria. Home air purifiers clean the air with fans that pull air through filters, where many pollutants are captured.
Improve Your Indoor Air Quality with Regular HVAC Maintenance
Have you ever turned on your HVAC and felt your sinuses kick into high gear? Runny eyes and a clogged nose shouldn’t be the price you pay for a cooler home, so improve your indoor air quality with yearly HVAC maintenance.
An experienced HVAC technician can replace old air filters, clear out dirty clogs, and spot potential leaks to make sure you’re not accidentally making your indoor air worse.
Let Comfort Heating & Air Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
Comfort Heating & Air offers heating, cooling, and indoor air quality services that helps homeowners enjoy a healthier and fresher home. If you’re unsure how to improve your indoor air, or just need us to double-check your HVAC, we have several offers with your name on them.
All of our customers get access to our financing options, Pro Service Plan, and special deals. Our Exceptional Service Guarantee means we will fix any mistakes we make or grant you a full refund.
Give yourself the peace of mind that comes with fresh, clean indoor air. Schedule an appointment with one of our technicians today!