Why You Should Test Indoor Air Quality In The Winter

What’s the worst part of winter? Having to keep your door and windows sealed up tight, with little to no ventilation circulating throughout your home.

Your indoor air quality is anything but fresh. You can smell last night’s dinner, the fire you made in the fireplace last night. What else is lingering in the air? Turns out, quite a lot. Even with regular cleanings and scheduled maintenance visits for your HVAC equipment, there still can be a wide variety of pollutants in the air, including:

• Chemicals from cleaning solutions, paint, varnish, VOCs, and aerosols
• Building materials and insulation
• Combustible gases from appliances
• Smoke and soot from burning wood in stoves or fireplaces

Of course, that’s not all. Your house can still harbor pollutants and contaminants just from daily living. These are natural contaminants, they happen no matter how much you clean. Thinks like:

• Pet dander – if you have a pet, pet hair can build up all over your home, impacting your sinuses and allergies.
• Dust mites – mites are everywhere, in your furniture, draperies, carpet, and bedding. They increase when you keep your home closed up and warm in the winter months.
• Biological growth – think biological growth doesn’t show up in the winter when your furnace keeps your home dry and warm? Think again. It’s the ideal situation, especially where moisture exists, like the bathroom, or the Christmas tree that leaks water onto the floor.

Once problems occur, they can linger for weeks – months. You’re trapped inside with this dirty air, and it can really take its toll. Are you fatigued? Have itchy eyes? A sore throat? Allergy symptoms? It might be time to have a professional evaluate your home’s indoor air quality, and make changes to clean up the air supply.

What can a professional do?

To start, it might be time to have your ductwork professionally cleaned. If you can’t remember when it was done the last time, it’s time. It can remove air pollutants that have lingered inside the duct system, helping you breathe easier.

They can also improve your ventilation system. Are there leaks in your ductwork? Do you have a proper air filtration system throughout your home? Do you use HEPA filters?

The only way to find what ails you is to start with an indoor air quality audit. That will give us a starting point for what’s going on in your house, and help clean up the air to allow you and your family to breathe easier. 
Contact the indoor air quality technicians of R.S. Andrews today!