Why an Energy-Efficient Residence Can Impact Air Quality and How to Enhance It 

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

As air has fewer chances to escape, contaminants can increase and impact your house’s indoor air quality. In reality, your house’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 specifically detrimental for relatives with allergies, asthma, other respiratory concerns or heart disease. 

Let’s go over some of these routine contaminants and how you can enhance your house’s indoor air quality. 

6 Everyday Pollutants that Affect Indoor Air Quality 

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

They include: 

1. Cleaning products, such as 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, specifically 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 affected by VOCs than others. The EPA says symptoms of VOC exposure entail: 

• Irritated eyes, nose or throat 

• Headaches 
• Dizziness 
• Fatigue 

In bad cases, the EPA says VOCs can lead to respiratory and heart diseases. 

4 Ways to Enhance Your Residence’s Indoor Air Quality 

It isn’t hard to improve your house’s air quality. Here are several ideas from Harvard Medical School: 

1. Clean Your Residence Regularly 

Regularly cleaning and washing surfaces that attract allergens, like furniture, carpet and bedding, will help cut down on dust, dust mites and pet dander in your house. 

2. Frequently Change Your Air Filter 

This essential filter keeps your house cozy and air clean. How often you should change your air filter depends on the kind of filter you have. Flat filters should be replaced each month, while pleated filters should be replaced every three months. If you’re unsure if your filter should be replaced, remove it and hold it up to the light. Get a new one if you can’t see light through it. 

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

3. Enhance Natural Ventilation 

Keep fresh air circulating 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 introduce more fresh air. 

4. Chat Our Indoor Air Quality Pros 

From whole-home air purifiers, Atmostemp Service Experts has a solution to help your household breathe better. We’ll help you select the right option during your free home comfort assessment. Contact us at 856-310-4824 to schedule yours now!