How to Test Air Quality In Your Minneapolis-St. Paul Home
Here in Minneapolis-St. Paul, we battle air pollution on a daily basis. The Twin Cities area frequently has high levels of air toxins, which affects our health and quality of life.
If you’re worried that your home is filled with harmful airborne pollutants, the first step is to perform an air quality test. We’ll give you some tips on how to gauge your home’s air quality.
To test the air quality in your home, try the following:
- Look for obvious signs of pollution
- Purchase an air quality monitor
- Hire an expert
Let’s look at each of these suggestions in more detail below.
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Tip #1: Look for obvious signs of pollution
The fact that you’re reading this blog probably means you already suspect your home’s air quality is suffering. Maybe you or someone in your family is experiencing allergies or more frequent sickness, or maybe the air just feels stuffy.
The first thing you’ll want to do is look for obvious signs of pollution. These signs include:
- Black spots on walls or ceilings: Black spots usually mean mold is growing. Breathing mold spores causes a variety of health problems. If you see visible mold growth, you may need to hire a mold remediation company and install a dehumidifier.
- Moisture or condensation on windows or walls: This points to a possible humidity problem, which could lead to mold or mildew growth.
- Lots of dust coming from vents. If your ductwork has leaks, dust from unconditioned spaces can enter the ducts and get blown into your home, which could be causing respiratory problems. A professional will need to clean and seal your ducts if this is the case.
Of course, these are only the obvious signs of air pollution. Some pollutants (like chemical contaminants) don’t leave visible signs, only symptoms of sickness. To find these types of pollutants, proceed to Tip #2.
Tip #2: Purchase an air quality monitor
If you want to see which pollutants are in your home’s air, you can invest in an air quality monitoring system.
Air quality monitors range from $100 to $250, and you can usually buy them online or in home improvement stores.
Most air quality monitors will measure common pollutants such as:
- PM10 and PM2.5 levels (tiny particles less than 10 or 2.5 micrometers in diameter)
- VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
- Formaldehyde (H-CHO)
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Humidity
That said, these monitoring devices will only tell you what pollutants are in your home’s air, not where they are coming from or how to eliminate them.
Tip #3: Hire an expert
While an air quality monitoring system will give you a good starting point to know which pollutants are in your home, if you want the most accurate results, you’ll want to hire a professional.
An air quality expert has more advanced tools and knowledge to pinpoint exactly which pollutants are ruining your home’s air. They can also tell you where the pollutants are coming from, and how to get rid of them.
Depending on the type of pollutants you have (and their severity), an air quality expert may recommend installing a:
- Whole-home humidifier or dehumidifier
- Whole-home air purifier or cleaner
- High-MERV media air filter
These air quality products will help reduce pollutants and allergens to make your home’s air healthier and cleaner.
Want a Minneapolis-St. Paul pro to help improve your home’s air quality?
Whether you need air quality testing or want to install air quality equipment, we can help. We offer honest, upfront pricing and 100% satisfaction on all of our services.
