How to Test Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

How to Test Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

July 12, 2019

Your home is supposed to be a welcome refuge from the oppressive humidity and heat we suffer from here in Tampa. Nothing compares to the feeling of the rush of cool air when you open your door to escape from the outdoors. But if your home’s indoor air quality isn’t good, then you may end up walking into a place that’s actually worse for your health!

Thankfully you can perform some tests at home to see how your home’s IAQ is. Here are a few tips to help you know how to test your home’s indoor air quality from the experts at Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric! If the IAQ dips below where you’d like it to be, just give us a call and we’ll help you out!

What’s the Problem?

It’s not always easy to pinpoint exactly what the problem may be with your indoor air quality. The things that cause health problems can be traced back to several different elements, and there isn’t one test that can detect all of them at once.

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However, there are more general IAQ tests that can give you a reading of a few types of common airborne pollutants like carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, humidity and other types of health problems.

Not every device will test for the same ones, though, so be sure to get one that covers as much ground as possible if you do decide to invest in one.

Possible Pollutants

As we touched on earlier, some IAQ test kits will scan for abnormally high levels of things like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and other chemicals. But those aren’t the only things that can float through your home and cause health problems.

Which Airborne Pollutants Are Dangerous?

If you start noticing an uptick in respiratory health-related issues at home and can’t find any reason why, there’s a good chance it’s because your IAQ has been compromised. What else could be giving you trouble?

• Radon
• Everyday Allergens
• Smoke/Tobacco
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• Mold

These are just a few examples. You can roughly test for most of them at home, but not with mold. It’s tough to test for an unusually high level of mold because the presence of mold isn’t always an indicator of how harmful it is. Mold is pretty prevalent in homes no matter what, so simply noticing the fact that it’s there isn’t a cause for concern.

Much Ado About Mold

Here’s what is noteworthy about mold though – when it’s entirely too widespread. That’s the hard part, figuring out how much mold is too much. This is why it is a pollutant that we don’t recommend trying to test for at home.

A professional IAQ tester will be able to perform a much more reliable and trustworthy examination of mold levels, and you’ll be able to take those results and use them to figure out a long-term indoor air quality solution.

Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric: Your Tampa Indoor Air Quality Experts

You’ve learned how to test your home’s indoor air quality in a few ways, but sometimes that’s not enough. Only the experience of a professional will truly put your mind at ease for good.

With the help of Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric, you’ll be in good hands. Our IAQ specialists will have you and your home back to normal in no time. Whether it’s through ductwork service, a UV light or a whole-home dehumidifier, we’ll determine precisely what your home needs to ensure a long-lasting solution.

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Give us a call at 800-937-6736 for more info!

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