How would you check air quality in your house? Air quality is essential because it is tightly connected with the health of the individuals living in the house. Bad air can create the onset of respiratory problems, allergies, and other problems. But it is often difficult to figure out if the air quality is good.
Testing is an excellent way to figure out what is in the air, but also, you can spot that something is not right by other clues.This article will tell you all there is to know how to check air quality in your home and what options you have for HVAC installation and repairs in Spokane Valley.
What does an air quality test detect?
Indoor air can be contaminated with gasses such as carbon monoxide and other contaminants like organic compounds and pollutants. An air quality test will detect what is in the air, but you may need to do more than one test to find biological contaminants, chemicals, and combustion pollutants.
But even without a test, you can spot that the air quality in your house is not good by the appearance of respiratory symptoms and health problems connected to them.
Here are the impurities that you can expect to find in your indoor air:
- Mold
- Dust mites
- Pollen
- Formaldehyde
- Lead
- Randon
Mold is one of the most common contaminants. Although it is attached to walls or furniture, mold produces spores that travel in the air and can end up in someone’s respiratory system, sometimes creating allergies and other problems.
Even outdoor mold can float into the house through windows, vents, and doors. The presence of mold can result in throat irritation, stuffiness, coughing, eye irritation, and even healthy people.
Dust mites live in bedding, mattresses, carpets, and curtains. Although you can reduce the presence of mites through cleaning, air quality has a lot to do with keeping mites away from your home.
Mites are responsible for asthma and other symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. Pollen is common through spring and summer. It comes into the house through windows and another opening.It can make people sneeze, cough, and it can create itching eyes, nose and throat, and red watering eyes.
Other signs and symptoms of poor air quality in your house
You can spot that the indoor air quality needs improvement also from the following signs:
- Poor ventilation
- Foul odors
- Health problems
When there is a lack of ventilation, the house will smell like old. This is one of the first signs of poor air quality. Respiratory issues are another significant signal of poor ventilation and worsening air quality.
In addition, the appearance of unusual odors signifies that something is not working correctly in your home’s ventilation.
Best ways to check air quality in your house
You can check the air quality in your house in various ways. Unfortunately, there isn’t one test or tool that can tell you in one go what is wrong with your air, but there is a series of examinations and things you can do with all the data you need.
Here are the things you can do to check air quality:
1. Install an indoor air quality monitor
An indoor air quality monitor is an electric device that aims to measure the level of pollution in the air. Each brand can test different things, but you can expect an air quality monitor to determine the level of chemicals, particulate matter, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and humidity.
You can find intelligent devices with a display monitor that shows the readings in real-time. Moreover, you can connect those devices with your home thermostat, mobile phone, and other devices.
2. Mold testing
You can also make a separate mold test to ensure your house is free of the harmful effects of mold and its byproducts. Mold tests can be various, such as:
- Swabs
- Tape strip
- Air pumps
- Petri dish test
Some of the above tests require you to send the sample to a laboratory, and it will take a few days to know the results. You can also inspect your home to check for visible signs of mold. The places to examine are those where there is the most humidity.
For example, basements, dirty ductwork, drains are the usual place where mold can proliferate. In addition, you can also see if there are black spots on walls or other surfaces.
3. Carbon monoxide alarm
You can also use carbon monoxide detectors to alert you if the gas levels go beyond a specific threshold. The presence of alarm monitors is necessary because the gas is odorless, and you cannot detect its existence from the color or any other sign.
Because of its invisible nature, it is hazardous if released into the house. Therefore, it is essential to have a monoxide alarm to notify you immediately if something is wrong with the fireplace, stove, furnace, and other house appliances.
4. Radon testing
Radon is another type of radioactive gas coming from uranium breakdown. It is typically found in the soil, and at times it can infiltrate into the house. Therefore, it is possible to find radon tests to do at home.
Once the test is done, it should be sent to a lab for analysis.
- Get a professional to check the air quality for you.
If you are in doubt or unsure how to do it, you can always call an expert to come to your house and perform the test. A professional can also give you better recommendations on what you should do about the air quality in your home.
Conclusion
Checking indoor air quality is very important to prevent respiratory conditions and ensure that everyone living in the house stays healthy. Testing can give an accurate description of what is in the air, and from the results, it is possible to take resolutive actions.
If you need more assistance regarding air quality, visit this site: https://hurlimanheating.com
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