If you have had an air quality evaluation in the past, or are looking to schedule a home air quality test soon, you may be wondering how often you will need to do so again. Is IAQ testing a one time thing? Or is the best path to health along the road of constant consideration and optimization of your home’s ventilation, filtration, and purification systems?
Here is what you need to know about when you will want to schedule another indoor air quality test for your Lower Putman, Westchester, and Fairfield county home to improve the health of your air.
IAQ Changes with More than Just the Seasons
Because your home is a living, breathing structure, the quality of the air can vary depending on many factors, even after you have made home performance upgrades that improve your IAQ like increasing insulation and air sealing. Not only will changes in the weather affect your IAQ, but changes in your decor, your habits, and your home’s structure can affect it! Here are some reasons you would want to schedule an indoor air quality test with a trusted IAQ expert like Healthy Home Energy & Consulting.
Your Poor IAQ Symptoms Have Returned
If you have already addressed the quality of your home’s air, but the symptoms you were looking to fix from the get-go have returned, it may be time to take another “look under the hood”. Remember, the physical symptoms of poor IAQ can include:
Frequent headaches
Nausea
Frequent colds
Dry or itchy eyes
Sinus irritation/dryness
You’ve Recently Replaced or Added Furniture
The fabrics, woods, and plastics commonly used in furniture construction will introduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, especially when they are new. If you have recently replaced your furniture for a decor upgrade, or have recently replaced any carpeting, an IAQ test can show you how your air quality was affected.
You’ve Added Square Footage
Have you added a room since your last IAQ check-in? More square footage means more work for your heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, and more opportunity for air leaks and lapses in insulation. Scheduling an IAQ test after your renovation project can get your IAQ back on track.
You’ve Had Recent Issues with Moisture
Have you had a recent plumbing leak, or a drainage problem that caused water to damage your home? Even after the issue has been resolved, that exposure to excess moisture could increase the mold spores present in your air.
How We Test Your Indoor Air
Here at Healthy Home Energy & Consulting, we begin the home improvement process with a Healthy Home Evaluation. Included in every Healthy Home Evaluation is an Air Advice test, which takes about 30 minutes to analyze your current indoor air for pollutants like:
Carbon monoxide
Particle allergens
Excess carbon dioxide
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
The AirAdvice test also provides readings of the current relative humidity. We then take those results, and combine them with the findings of the remainder of the Healthy Home Evaluation, which includes readings on how leaky your home is, how insulated it is, and how efficient your heating and cooling systems are. From here we can develop a plan to increase the overall health of your home, while also making it more comfortable and efficient. This will include any combination of the following upgrades:
Whole house fresh air system installation
Insulation upgrades
And more
If you have been wondering how to test for carbon dioxide in your home, or what an air quality test will show, get in touch with the experts on keeping your home healthy. We can help you battle the pollen in Westchester, NY come springtime, while keeping your heating bills down come winter time.