Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): A Complete Home Guide

It’s been estimated by the EPA that we spend an average of 90% of our time indoors. And some airborne pollutants are far more present in indoor spaces than outdoor spaces.

While not all of that 90% is spent in your home, a lot of it is. It’s where you eat meals, sleep most of your nights, and spend countless hours with family and friends. And the air inside of it could be unhealthy.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is important. Like, really important. Your health, the health of your loved ones, your finances and comfort are all affected by IAQ in ways big and small.

While it might be tempting to simply say you can open your windows and forget about IAQ concerns (and it’s true; this can help!), that ignores that changes in weather and urban pollution problems make this a less worthwhile solution. If it’s 30 degrees outside or the smog in your city is particularly bad, you may only be making yourself less comfortable.

There are HVAC solutions to these problems, and while some cost additional money, many of them are things that will save you money if you follow them.

Enjoying the air you breathe should be a given in your home. Let’s make sure that’s the case for you!

Everything Indoor Air Quality Refers To

Indoor air quality includes the obvious: say, for example, when there are noticeable odors in the air or you’re having difficulty breathing.

It’s more than this, though, and can be more subtle than some people realize. IAQ can refer to all of the following, and more:

1. Lingering cooking odors and ventilation of kitchen spaces
2. Humidity levels and the problems associated with high or low humidity
3. Bacteria or virus particles existing in the air. These can be neutralized in a variety of ways.
4. Debris in your ductwork, vents, and throughout the home (dust, dirt) that circulates through the air.
5. Allergens in the air, particularly during peak allergy seasons.
6. The filtration on your central HVAC system or standalone air purifiers
7. Air circulation via fans, windows, and doors throughout the home
8. Presence and removal of regional pollutants caused by smog or wildfires
9. Maintenance of healthy air in homes with smokers, pets, or a combination of both

There’s likely other areas of IAQ we’re forgetting, but that should be plenty to impart the idea that your home’s air can include many different elements.

Dangers of Poor Home Air Quality

The list of potential dangers for poor home air quality will be even longer than the one just above, or nearly so.

And we don’t mean to sound alarmist. Most of the danger is to your general comfort, not to your life or anything so serious.

However, that ignores that the eventual effects of poor air quality can cost you thousands of dollars, which really will be serious to a lot of people!

So let’s look at some dangers that could result:

• High humidity leads to more allergens, bugs, and feeling muggy in the home.
• High humidity can lead to increased levels of mold and mildew in the home, which can further harm air quality and erode the home’s foundations.
• Low humidity (usually in the winter) can lead to persistent coughs, dry and irritated skin, and difficulty sleeping.
• Low humidity also allows virus and bacteria particles to live in the air and on surfaces longer. This is largely what leads to “flu season” here in the US.
• Buildup of dirt and debris in your ductwork will make the air filthier and harder to breathe.
• Smoke, dust and dirt makes the home dirty more quickly, requiring you to clean it more often.
• Poor air quality overworks your furnace filter, which can clog the system and make it work harder.
• A dirty or clogged filter leads to a loss of energy efficiency and, if left unchecked, could lead to a full HVAC system breakdown as a result of the additional wear and tear on the equipment.
• Dirty filters and ductwork prevent proper airflow, so your HVAC system will be unable to properly cool and heat your home.

So a few sniffles and itchy skin might not be the end of the world but persistent illnesses in your family and potentially thousands of dollars in HVAC repairs are much more serious.

And all of them are inconvenient to some degree. Fortunately, each can be controlled through best practices and IAQ products in your home.

Humidity-Controlling Products

Humidity is only something we notice at the extremes, but it’s always affecting us. Every three degrees of relative humidity feels like one degree increase in temperature to our bodies.

Additionally, the problems mentioned above like bug infestations, illnesses, mold and mildew, and coughs or dry skin can be made worse if humidity is not controlled.

Conversely, you can greatly reduce the risk of each of these with good humidity control.

Whole-Home Dehumidifiers

Summers, particularly in coastal regions, can be extremely humid. High humidity brings with it a host of problems, detailed above.

Whole-home dehumidifiers are the best solution to this problem. Even better, the reduction in humidity from a whole-house dehumidifier can help your air conditioner or heat pump, requiring it to work less!

A big part of your air conditioner or heat pump’s job in the warmer months is to remove humidity. Humidity control, to a large extent, is comfort control. And so a dehumidifier can make your system more efficient and allow it to work for less energy cost and also give it longevity.

The cost of a whole-home dehumidifier can be considerable, though, which feels daunting to many people. The amount of time you spend in your home makes a strong case for having one, but smaller basement or standalone dehumidifiers can still help in small ways.

A dehumidifier designed to treat your entire house may also be standalone, though it can also often be connected directly to the ductwork in your home. Either way, since heat and humidity tends to rise, a reduction on the lowest level of the home will affect every level.

Whole-Home Humidifiers

The opposite side of this is adding humidity, which is most useful in the dry, winter months. Some areas of the country that are considered deserts may also want a humidifier year-round!

Low humidity can make it harder to sleep, can dry out your skin, and makes it more likely to contract illnesses via airborne bacteria and viruses. Even in parts of the country not known for being dry, humidity can reach desert levels in the winter!

Most whole-home humidifiers will be attached to your ductwork to spread moisture throughout the home. They can be installed by any reputable HVAC technician.

Air Conditioner and Heat Pump Upgrades

The first line of defense against high humidity is your cooling equipment. Sophisticated air conditioner and heat pump technology can drastically reduce humidity levels in the summer months.

The underlying technology behind AC units hasn’t changed in decades, but the introduction of multi-stage air conditioners has allowed people to keep their homes cooler for cheaper.

The variable-speed units actually operate at lower power levels, which gives air in the home more time to circulate fully. This allows for more thorough humidity removal and a more even, reliable cool temperature throughout the entire home. These variable-speed units are better at keeping your upstairs cool and keeping you comfortable in even the hottest weather.

Ideal Humidity Levels

You should be aiming for relative humidity levels between 30% and 60% in your home at all times. If we’re narrowing it down to a specific target, 50% is a good goal.

Nearly every home in the country naturally fluctuates above and below these safe levels at different times of the year.

Many modern thermostats can monitor these levels, and can also communicate with humidity-controlling equipment that’s connected to your main HVAC system. This is the easiest way to control your humidity throughout the year.

ALSO READ: Best Home Humidity Level

Air Filtration

Fresh air is great for you. There are documented benefits to support this.

Simply opening the windows and letting the fresh air in isn’t always feasible, though. What about when it’s 98 degrees? Or 32 degrees? Or there’s an air pollution warning in your city? Or wildfires in the region? Or if the air is a pleasant temperature but the humidity is too high?

This is where home air filtration comes in.

Problems From Poor Air Filtration

Let’s say you never replace your furnace filter again. What would happen?

1. The filter would become dirty and fail to trap many particulates.
2. Your air would become noticeably dirtier in time, and more dust would appear around the home.
3. Eventually the filter would cause airflow backups in the system.
4. These backups would first cause your system to work harder to heat and cool your home (costing you money).
5. After that, your system would be at risk of malfunctioning or breaking down due to the lack of airflow and how that strains your equipment.
6. More dust, dirt and other debris would settle in your ducts, leading to struggles keeping your air clean even if you were to change out the filter for a new one.
7. Your allergies would worsen, you’d be at greater risk for illness, and would be at risk for persistent coughing. This would affect your sleep and overall health.

And that’s just from the filter in your furnace.

Types of Furnace Filters

Generally, you have your 1-inch filters and your 4-inch filters. The latter are often called media filters.

There are other types, such as electric filters and hybrid filters that filter the air through multiple means.

Your HVAC system may only accept certain sizes, but you will always have options for efficiency level.

Choosing an Air Filter

Beyond matching the size required by your system, you can upgrade your filter by selecting one that captures more dirt and debris.

It’s also important not to restrict airflow, so whenever possible we recommend the four-inch media filters in your system, rather than the more densely-packed one-inch ones of equal overall efficiency.

MERV Rating – or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value – is the standard for measuring filter efficiency. Aim for MERV 13 to capture the majority of bacteria and virus particles (including COVID particulates). It’s not a guarantee you won’t get sick, but it can greatly reduce your risk.

ALSO READ: How Do I Change My Furnace Filter?

Air Purifiers: Types and Costs

Air purifiers aren’t part of most HVAC systems. But if you have frequent issues, you should consider one.

Who should be thinking about installing an air purifier? Those who are immunocompromised are a key demographic who can benefit from air purifiers.

Also those who have multiple pets, or when there are smokers in the home, or when you’re in a city or region with frequent air pollution warnings.

An air filter alone can be insufficient in these situations to keep odors and harmful particles from your air.

Some popular air purifiers include the Reme Halo, Air Knight and iWave purifiers.

These are popular brands, but more generic UV lights can also be installed in your ductwork that do some of the same work as these more powerful purifiers. UV light kills organic matter, and this can include bacteria and viruses that would otherwise infect your home’s air.

A basic UV lamp can be as little as $100 to $200 including installation, all the way up to the most sophisticated equipment that purifies in multiple ways. These can be several hundred dollars or even over one thousand. This isn’t always recommended, but again, if you or someone you love is immunocompromised or has frequent issues with air quality, it may be the only and best way to keep their air clean.

Ductwork Cleaning

When’s the last time your ductwork was cleaned? I bet most of you are thinking “never.”

Now imagine decades worth of dust, dirt, skin cells, bugs and other debris sitting in your ductwork.

Is it always this bad? No, particularly if you keep your furnace’s air filter changed regularly. But we’d be lying if we said we haven’t seen all of this and worse in customers’ ductwork.

If you seem to have regular problems with dust and debris in the air, it may be time for a duct cleaning. These can significantly help with breathing problems by removing tons of particulates from your air supply.

Budget IAQ Options

Alright, so you don’t want to do any of that. Hopefully we’ve sold you on the benefits of great indoor air quality, but maybe you don’t have it in the budget to purchase the products mentioned. What can you do?

Even without new purchases, keeping your furnace filter up-to-date is important. It’s easy to do and only takes a few minutes.

Beyond that, standalone dehumidifiers, humidifiers and air purifiers can do some of the work of ducted or whole-home products, but not all. Worst case, it may help to keep these in your bedroom during different times of year to maintain air quality where you sleep.

Lastly, air circulation in general can be useful. Making using of open doors, windows, and fans can help to circulate air and keep it fresh.

CABS Heating and Air Conditioning: Your IAQ Experts

Here at CABS Heating and Air Conditioning, we do it all when it comes to indoor air quality: ductwork, duct cleaning, ventilation improvements, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, filters, air purification, attic insulation and more!

If you are interested in any of those, or simply want to talk to a specialist to see what options you have for improving the air quality in your home, give us a call today!