{"id":1031,"date":"2023-09-25T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/?p=1031"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:38:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T15:38:56","slug":"how-to-tell-if-your-indoor-air-quality-is-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/indoor-air-quality-service\/how-to-tell-if-your-indoor-air-quality-is-bad\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell if Your Indoor Air Quality is Bad"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/iStock-1042298228_1920x1281.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/iStock-1042298228_1920x1281-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Woman coughing under a blanket in bedroom, highlighting concerns about indoor air quality and home air conditions.\" class=\"wp-image-1032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/iStock-1042298228_1920x1281-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/iStock-1042298228_1920x1281-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/iStock-1042298228_1920x1281-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/iStock-1042298228_1920x1281-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/iStock-1042298228_1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The air you breathe isn\u2019t just important\u2013it\u2019s paramount to your health and quality of life. But how can you really tell how bad your indoor air quality is right now? There\u2019s a reason that demand for <a href=\"\/service-areas\/belle-isle-fl-hvac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">air purifier service in Belle Isle, FL<\/a> is rising\u2013homeowners are becoming acutely aware of just how dangerous their indoor air quality really is. Here\u2019s how you can tell if your indoor air quality is bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the signs of poor indoor air quality?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Frequent sneezing, coughing, headaches, or allergy symptoms indoors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Excess dust buildup around vents and surfaces<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Musty or stale odors that linger<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uneven airflow or persistent humidity issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Worsening asthma or respiratory conditions at home<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visible mold growth near vents or in damp areas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Air Odors That Signal Poor IAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You took the trash out, so what\u2019s the smell? Where\u2019s it coming from? A stale smell in the air doesn\u2019t solely have to come from trash or a dirty bathroom where you can see the mess. In fact, sometimes it comes from mold spores that you can\u2019t see anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It could also be stagnant air. Most homes don\u2019t have enough air circulation to keep the air fresh, resulting in odors that you only encounter indoors. This is where HVAC systems such as ERVs and HRVs come in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Respiratory Issues Caused by Bad Air Quality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your lungs have a natural filtration system to get rid of debris, dust, and anything else that isn\u2019t supposed to enter your lungs. This mucus filter traps unwanted particulate matter and turns it into waste, taking it away from your lungs. But your respiratory system shouldn\u2019t have to work extra hard just because it can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you start noticing more respiratory problems, such as dry coughs, wheezing, whistling in the lungs or throat, and any other breathing-related issues, they can all stem from poor indoor air quality.&nbsp; These conditions can also worsen allergies and other pre-existing conditions as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Visible Dust as an IAQ Warning Sign<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dust accumulates no matter what. It\u2019s made up of many organic materials, most notably dead skin cells, which you shed all the time. You can\u2019t completely prevent dust, but you can greatly limit it. When surfaces in your home frequently get dusty, seemingly out of nowhere, it\u2019s a sign that your indoor air quality isn\u2019t what it should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Humidity Affects Indoor Air Quality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You have an air conditioner, which helps reduce the amount of humidity in the air. You can also achieve this with a dehumidifier. Your indoor air humidity should never rise about 60% RH (relative humidity), otherwise it creates the necessary environment for mold and mildew to spawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At and above the 70% RH mark, the conditions incite mold growth. When mold and mildew spores are in your air, it will impact your health long before you notice the issue in the first place. This is why monitoring your humidity from time to time helps, and why having the right HVAC equipment is absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steps to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Indoor air quality impacts everything from your health to your sleep and more. Take it seriously, install the right systems to combat poor air quality, and you can create a better environment for you and your family to thrive in. It all starts today with the right IAQ system, and we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"\/contact\/send-a-message\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>Contact English Air Inc. today<\/strong><\/a><strong> to schedule your indoor air quality system installation today.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your indoor air quality is paramount to your health and wellness. Here&#8217;s how you can tell if it&#8217;s not doing you any favors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[179,9],"class_list":["post-1031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indoor-air-quality-service","tag-bells-isle","tag-indoor-air-quality"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1031"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1432,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031\/revisions\/1432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishairinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}