How to Test Air Quality in Your Home

Breathing is an important part of functioning as a human. Therefore it is essential to know how to test air quality in your home. Air pollution has become a routine concern for humans because of dangerous types of emissions and pollutants from vehicles and materials used on a regular basis.

Poor ventilation, and items that contain poisonous emissions, can cause allergies, sickness, and harmful side effects for a pre-existing condition. That is why many people test air quality in their homes to prevent such disastrous outcomes.

Outdoor air quality cannot be primarily controlled within our surroundings. However, indoor air quality can easily be tested and controlled to provide us with a healthy environment.

The indoor air quality can contain a number of attributes that will determine the quality. Some of these attributes can be detected easily through its simple understanding of how air can behave. 

Ventilation is important within a home and the effects of pure ventilation can be detected by odd smells in the air, mold in walls, and building condensation in walls and windows.

Certain unusual odors after being away from home are a hint of pollutants in the air. 

If you find it hard to breathe indoors at your home and that difficulty is not there outdoors then it’s because of the lack of air quality within the house. 

Certain materials such as poisonous disinfectants and big kill sprays contain harmful substances that can cause severe sickness due to the pollution of the air. Therefore it’s important to follow proper guidelines when operating with such strong chemical substances.

How to test air quality in your home

When you are concerned about the air quality in your home there is a certain method that gives you a proper understanding of how good the air quality is around your home.

A simple air quality monitor is the best way to get started monitoring air quality as soon as you start experiencing bad air around you. Simple air quality monitors are inexpensive and give a good reading of the air surrounding you.

An overall air quality index is given by measuring these aspects and the possible health risks related to air pollution can be raised.

Air quality meters can defer and may even provide more information that provides a good reading on outdoor air quality as well. Most air quality meters will also detect harmful and odorless gasses such as Carbon Monoxide, and Radon. 

Swabs and Petri dishes are the most common type of mold tests and these come in various test kits. The testing can be done on various tabletops and surfaces. The results of a swab test or other types of mold tests are received within minutes and these tests do not reveal the type of mold present. These tests can be further explored by sending them to a lab to identify the type of mold.

There is also a tendency for these tests to be contaminated easily by the particulate matter in the air. Petri-dish tests are more often contaminated and the swab tests can also be prawn for easy contamination. 

Radon is a natural gas that is emitted from certain rocks and soil. It is mostly due to the presence of Uranium. These gasses can be emitted from the foundation of the building and with time can develop to harmful levels. 

Radon detection can vary on the nature of the tests, there are long-term tests and short-term tests for a period of 90 days. Continuous testing is mostly recommended for alerting levels. The installation of these tests can include several sheet installations and the proper steps should be taken in order to install them.

Carbon monoxide is one of the poisonous gasses which is odorless that causes a series of health problems such as headaches, illness, and in some cases even death. Carbon monoxide monitors should be present in bedrooms and on each floor of the house to have a properly distributed channel of detection. 

These detectors can be placed like smoke detectors and should avoid being installed near fire or flammable material. Since carbon monoxide is observed to be rising with air the meters are usually installed 4-5 meters from the wall or the ceiling. 

When the air quality of the home is determined bad, you can simply opt to purchase an air purifier. Air purifiers are helpful to regulate clean air within a room, helping the course of breathing if there are sick or asthma allergy individuals at home.

Most air purifiers can be over-exaggerated at times and do not provide the intended job. Therefore it is important to purchase a proper air purifier that functions properly without marketing scientific terms for sales. Air filters must be changed and maintained regularly with care as dirt and other significant particles may clog the filters.

In an event where there is a significant concern about the air quality surrounding you, then it is time to contact a professional on the air quality. Remove molds and install carbon monoxide detectors and the presence of radon may require professional help to sort out the air problem.

Summary

The air quality of your home is a serious issue that raises concerns about the safety of the residents and personal hygiene. It is important to evaluate and identify the pollutants that are roaming indoors causing these problems and to take necessary action to improve the overall air quality. Once you have an idea of the problem you can eliminate it yourself or may require the help of professionals. As mentioned earlier proper ventilation paves the for the house to be safe from such harmful gases.

FAQ