How Do I Monitor My Indoor Air Quality? 

Folks are always asking, “What do you think of this IAQ or indoor air quality device?”

Like many common questions, there’s more than one answer. When the response is, “It depends,” I’m not avoiding an answer. There’s no simple response to the question of how to achieve acceptable indoor air quality, also known as IAQ.

Why? Literally hundreds of factors are at play in every person’s home. These factors are the key to achieving and maintaining acceptable indoor air quality where we live. In our homes, one thing that is a constant is a state of change.

Indoor air quality is not constant.

Its facets are always interacting and in flux. That’s why it’s important to pay attention. Every component of indoor air quality asks of us diligent mindfulness, adjustment, and maintenance. If we want IAQ to remain within an acceptable range, we need to cultivate a good balance between all the factors that can impact the air quality in your home.

Here are some questions to ask yourself about your home’s indoor air quality status. Your answers will help determine whether there are important air quality factors that are out of balance in your home.

• Are you aware of wet, damp or humid conditions in or around your home?
• Do you exercise mindful control of temperature?
• Are all the systems or zones of the house clean and in good working order?
• Is the home being checked seasonally for necessary maintenance or updates?
• Have VOC pollutants been introduced into the indoor environment?
• Is the filtration system adequate to capture particulates?
• Does the ventilation system support indoor air quality?
• Is the UV germicidal placed correctly for maximum effectiveness?
• Are there outdoor air quality concerns that affect what’s happening indoors?
• Has consideration been given EMFs and their mindful management as a preventative?

What, if anything, comes up for you as a question mark? Those are the areas to approach first, with ample measures of common sense and practicality. The answers will be unique to your situation, your home, and your needs. But the result you’ll seek is balance in the environment, the home, its systems, and the healthiness of its inhabitants.

There is no magic device when it comes to IAQ.

Regrettably, there is no one device that will create the balance required to achieve acceptable indoor air quality. When it comes to devices, it’s helpful to begin with the combined set of factors essential to air quality in your home. That’s because devices target single facets of indoor air quality, not the big picture.. The single facet approach has its advantages and disadvantages. A focus on balance helps you maintain workable solutions for your home.

I encourage everyone to take advantage of the excellent resources available online and familiarize themselves with indoor air quality basics. You’ll want to define where you stand with “acceptable” air quality. Do you need to define an effective pathway to avoid pitfalls and improve outcomes? We can help with that if you’re unsure as to how to proceed, or want to get into a deeper conversation.

As always, if you have any questions or need help with indoor air quality in the Asheville, NC or Greenville, SC areas, give us a call or send us an email.