5 Signs You Might Have Poor HVAC Air Quality (and How To Fix It)

25 million Americans suffer from asthma. Poor air quality in your home can have a big impact on the health of people with breathing conditions. But, it can even impact those of use without them. 

Having great air quality in your home is a must. If you feel like the air in your home isn't as good as it should be, you might have an issue with your HVAC system. HVAC air quality is what makes your home a safe, healthy place to live, and bad air can lead to more issues down the road. 

To find out if you have issues with your air, here are 5 signs that your HVAC air quality is poor. At the end of this, we'll show you what you can do to make the air in your home better. 

1. Worsening Allergies 

Allergy season is one of the hardest things to go through, and your home should be a source of relief from the source of your allergies. However, if you have poor air quality in your home, your allergies might be worse inside than outside. Increased coughing or sneezing, watery eyes, and a sore throat inside are also signs of an allergic reaction. 

Poor indoor air quality is caused when your HVAC system can't properly remove contaminants from your home. When your allergies start acting up inside, it means your air system isn't removing the pollutants that are the source of your allergies. 

2. Dust Building Up Everywhere

If you don't like to dust, you aren't alone. In most cases, not dusting isn't noticeable and won't have an impact on your health. But, if you're starting to notice more dust than usual, you have an indoor air quality problem on your hands.

Increased amounts of dust around air vents and on surfaces are caused by HVAC air quality problems. This build-up is made of dust mites, pollen, and pet dander if you have them. The dust build-up can trigger allergic reactions, or make your surfaces feel gross. 

Dusting can solve some of the problems, but fixing your HVAC system can be a more permanent solution.

A big reason for dust build-up is a bad air filter. Air filters are important because they take all the dust out of the air so it doesn't settle all over the place. If dust is building up in your home, it could be because of a dirty or broken air filter. 

3. Bad Smells 

Were you walking through your home when all of a sudden a really bad smell hit your nose? Poor air quality might be the reason why!

Unfiltered, stale air can cause bad smells to show up in your home because the old air is not being filtered out of your home and replaced with clean, fresh air. The smell could be coming from dust build-up, pollen, or mold. 

Bad smells aren't the only signs of poor air quality your nose might pick up. In general, smells should only stick around for a few seconds before a working ventilation system takes them out of the air. If smells are staying longer than they normally do, it means your ventilation system isn't working properly. 

4. Variation in Temperature Across Your Home 

During all seasons of the year, we want our homes to be at the perfect temperature. The worst thing you could experience is being cozy in one room, then going to the other and being uncomfortable. 

If the temperature in your home varies from room to room, this is a major sign your air might not be flowing properly throughout your house. There are a few reasons your HVAC system might not be working correctly when it comes to the temperature of your home. 

The first reason is that your HVAC system might not be big enough for your home. If your HVAC system isn't big enough, air can't be moved throughout your space properly 

Another reason is that parts of your system might be blocked or the filters could be dirty. Blocked and dirty systems will prevent air from moving to certain areas of your home. 

5. Irritated Skin and Bad Headaches 

Sensitive skin is something a lot of people have to deal with. Did you know your air quality could impact the health of your skin? It's true!

If you have rashes showing up on your skin that is worse than usual, it could be because of poor air quality. Dry skin is caused by a lack of proper moisture in the air.

Indoor air quality is what regulates the humidity in your home. If the air is too dry, it will dry out your skin. 

Poor air quality can also affect your body by increasing the number of headaches you get. Headaches that last longer than usual or show up for no reason could be caused by your indoor air quality. 

Cleaning products, garbage left for too long, and other pollutants that aren't filtered out properly can cause headaches to worsen. Using chemicals in a poorly ventilated space especially can cause damage to your body.

How to Improve Your HVAC Air Quality Today 

When you're experiencing any of these issues, don't worry! It's easy to improve your HVAC air quality.

The best thing you can do is contact an air duct cleaning service that can inspect your HVAC system and repair any issue that might be causing your poor air quality. From replacing filters to making major repairs, they'll know exactly what to do. 

If you live in Colorado Springs and need help fixing or inspecting your HVAC system, look no further than Earth Friendly Airt Duct Cleaning! They will help make your home air quality as healthy as possible using environmentally friendly methods. Contact them today to make an appointment and start breathing easy again.