Why indoor air quality matters in Ohio homes.
The EPA puts indoor pollutant levels at 2 to 5 times what is outside. The sources are all in the house, and a well-sealed modern home holds onto them longer. That is why a new build usually needs mechanical ventilation more than an old one does.
The EPA reports indoor air often carries 2 to 5 times the pollutant levels of outdoor air. Here is what that means for a house in this region.
What indoor air carries.
Is indoor air really worse than outdoor air?
Usually, yes. The EPA reports indoor pollutant levels commonly run 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels, and occasionally far higher during activities like painting or stripping floors. The sources are indoors, and a heated or cooled house is built to hold onto its air. That is the problem indoor air quality services in Dayton and Cincinnati is built around.
What is actually in the air inside a house?
Seven things account for most of what a homeowner notices, and each has a different source and a different fix. Adding equipment before finding the source is the expensive way to do this. Dust and leaky returns are the pair that air duct cleaning addresses, and the carbon monoxide row is what an annual furnace safety inspection exists to catch.
Seven problems, seven different sources. The fix for each one starts with removing the source rather than buying equipment to chase it.
Common indoor air pollutants, their sources, and what reduces them.
| What is in the air | Where it comes from | What reduces it |
|---|---|---|
| Fine dust and dander | Skin, pets, carpet, and soil tracked in from outdoors | Higher-MERV media filtration and regular filter changes |
| Pollen | Outdoor air entering through doors, windows, and leaky return ducts | Media filtration, plus sealing the return side of the duct system |
| Mold and mildew spores | Damp basements, condensate pans, and humidity held above 60% | Dehumidification to 50% or below, plus fixing the water source |
| Volatile organic compounds | Paint, adhesives, cleaners, new furnishings, and new flooring | Source removal first, then carbon filtration and fresh-air ventilation |
| Carbon monoxide | Any combustion appliance that is cracked, back-drafting, or unvented | Annual combustion safety checks and working CO alarms on every level |
| Carbon dioxide buildup | People breathing inside a tightly sealed house with no fresh-air intake | Mechanical fresh-air ventilation |
| Dry air | Winter heating of outdoor air that holds very little moisture | A whole-home humidifier holding 30% to 40% through the heating season |
What are the signs of poor indoor air quality?
Most of them come on slowly enough that a household stops noticing. Dust returns within a day of cleaning, allergies get worse indoors than out, one part of the house smells musty, windows fog up in winter, and everyone sleeps better away from home. The indoor air quality FAQ takes each of those apart.
Does indoor air quality affect sleep and allergies?
Particulates, carbon dioxide buildup, and humidity extremes all disturb sleep, and indoor allergen exposure runs for the eight or so hours a person is in bed with the door shut. A bedroom with the door shut, no supply airflow, and the only return grille out in the hallway is a version of this that ductwork fixes rather than equipment.
A visit without surprises.
Are newer homes safer for indoor air?
Not automatically. A tighter house loses less energy and also exchanges less air with outside, so whatever is generated indoors stays longer. Newer construction usually needs mechanical fresh-air ventilation for the same reason it needs less heating.
What actually improves indoor air quality at home?
Source control comes first, then filtration and ventilation for whatever is left, then humidity control to hold the house between 30% and 50%. The order matters more than the brand on the equipment. Gear bought before the source is found usually moves a reading without changing how the house feels, which is why indoor air quality solutions are quoted after a measurement rather than before.
What else do homeowners ask about indoor air?
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