The invisible parts of your home that affect everyone’s health
When most people consider home health, they think about what they can see, a mold streak on the bathroom tile, a dusty bookshelf, a grimy kitchen countertop. Yet the hidden aspects of home health that most impact daily well-being are the things no one ever sees. These aspects run in the background and impact the air quality, allergens, and respiratory comfort of anyone living in the house without them being recognized until something nefarious presents itself.
But the problem with the areas of the home health that go unseen is that they don’t come into existence fanfare. The air ducts that clog with dust over time or the ventilation that stops operating as it shouldn’t announce themselves to residents. By the time a homeowner realizes something isn’t quite right, the family has already been breathing compromised air for months, if not years.
Few people consider ducts when they think about home health
Ducts may be one of the least considered health aspects of modern construction. Every time the heating or cooling comes on, air blows through the metal (or flex) channels throughout walls, attics and crawl spaces. What’s inside these connecting pieces of metal gets blown throughout the house, dust, dander, construction materials, dead bugs, rodent poop.
Here’s what makes this especially concerning: based on a research conducted by Pure Air Duct Cleaning Services, the average six-room home accumulates roughly 40 pounds of dust, allergens, and debris in its ductwork annually. That’s not sitting harmlessly in one spot, it’s being blown into living spaces every single day.
New construction poses an equally significant problem, contractors do not always seal ductwork appropriately and often dry wall dust, wood chips and other materials coat new ventilation systems before anyone moves in. Even existing homes get renovation particles sent directly into their duct systems to settle and be recirculated for years thereafter.
Ventilation that stops operating silently
Homes built after the 1980s are tighter than before, which means that they are energy efficient but problematic for health. Without proper ventilation options, air remains stale and trapped indoors since there’s nowhere for it to go. Odors from cooking, products used to clean surfaces, off-gassing from furniture and carpets, all get disbursed indoors without any way of escaping.
There are typically ventilation options in any home, exhaust fans in bathrooms, vents in kitchens, even whole-house ventilation systems, but these only work properly when they are running and working correctly. Exhaust fans coated in dust and grease hardly blow through anything, while filters not changed in years limit air flow until that system goes on strike.
Signs of ventilation systems gone wrong occur slowly, fogged windows, recent cooking smells that linger when they used to dissipate quickly, humid restrooms post-shower efforts. While these may seem irritating at first glance, they’re actually signs that contaminated air isn’t leaving when it needs to.
Homes with crawl spaces/attics face specific challenges
Crawl spaces and attics connected directly above liveable space can create challenges that no one really considers. Generally, these areas have moisture issues, pest problems or insulation issues that render them susceptible to becoming dirty. But the air in these locations doesn’t simply hang out there forever; it makes its way into other parts of the house.
Crawl spaces that have water accumulations or high humidity become moldy, but even if this mold remains out of sight within the crawl space, spores work their way into HVAC systems or waft through small cracks to the next available room. The same applies for attics with roof leaks or poor ventilation; moisture gets transferrable to living space air quality.
Rodents nest in these hidden locations, and their presence is more than just their physical presence; their poop becomes micro particles in the air when they dry out. Their bodies decompose; contamination occurs on insulation and it no longer works as it should. None of this occurs where a person can see it daily, but residual effects compound over time.
HVAC systems you never see
The average person has minimal contact with their HVAC system outside of adjusting the temperature on a thermostat or changing an air filter three times a year. However there are components that assess air quality, and most of them are out of sight and out of mind.
Evaporator coils rest within an air handler where condensation occurs during cooling cycles; this is a breeding ground for mold and bacteria growth. Drain pans accumulate water over time as drain lines become clogged, creating standing waters and biofilm. Blower wheels accumulate thin layers of debris that lower efficiency rates and put germs back into circulation.
Return air grilles suck air from rooms back into the system; they are most often housed in closets and corner hallways which collect more dust than other areas – and that’s exactly what’s looped back through the system and cycled once again.
Moisture intrusion goes unseen
Visible water damage gets addressed sooner rather than later. It’s the imperceptible water damage behind walls and under floors that becomes problematic for ongoing health. Whether it be slow leaks from within pipes or condensation from poor insulation, or even when water wicks up from a foundation issue, problems become mold colonies behind the scenes until someone tears down a wall for another reason.
Bathrooms and kitchens obviously are prone to moisture-happy events, but spaces often experience growing problems in places they don’t expect like condensation lines from HVAC systems that aren’t draining properly or ice dams in attics or poorly sealed windows.
The better that air quality gets maintained behind closed doors, the better opportunity for healthy living exists. However, when this moisture results from sources hidden from sight, problems become compounded over time with low-level symptoms like morning congestion, afternoon fatigue or headaches that dissipate with someone leaves the house but recommence upon reentry.
What this means for your home
There’s no need for every homeowner to dive into becoming an expert on HVAC systems or knocking down walls to assess all air quality issues in their homes. However understanding how hidden parts play a role in wellness means recognizing when conditions merit an inspection, it’s worth the cost.
If children have sudden respiratory complications or multiple family members present with such issues since they’ve moved in but no explanation exists elsewhere within the home, it deserves an inspection. Homes that are stuffy despite regular cleaning may have ventilation issues, while unusual odors or strange dust patterns indoors may mean ducts require a thorough clean-out.
Once these issues are identified and resolved, even if this requires extra financial investment, typically it pays off nicely. Within several days improved air quality takes hold along with efficiency efforts through AC units, lowers utility bills and minimized medical expenses mounting together create a much healthier environment for all who enter.
