Your Ultimate Guide to Indoor Air Quality in Your Home
March 10, 2026
Poor indoor air quality poses a significant threat to public health. Americans spend most of their time indoors, where pollutants are often more concentrated than they are outdoors. That’s why maintaining good indoor air quality is vital to protecting your health.
Hanson’s Plumbing & Heating is a local Minnesota expert in indoor air quality, specializing in products that help you and your household experience strong respiratory health. Join us as we break down the most common indoor air pollutants and the best products to improve the indoor air quality in your home.
Common Indoor Air Pollutants
Combustion byproducts are particles produced when fuels like gas, oil, and wood are burned. These particles can come from furnaces, gas pipes, fireplaces, and more.
Examples include carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, soot, and smoke. Particles from smoke can cause respiratory irritation, headaches, and more. Nitrogen dioxide can come from unvented stoves or defective appliances and causes irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. Carbon monoxide is potentially fatal and can result from malfunctioning furnaces. Regular furnace maintenance by experienced professionals can protect you from these risks. Ventilators can also expel polluted air and bring in clean air from the outdoors.
Biological Contaminants
Combustion byproducts are particles produced when fuels like gas, oil, and wood are burned. These particles can come from furnaces, gas pipes, fireplaces, and more.
Examples include carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, soot, and smoke. Particles from smoke can cause respiratory irritation, headaches, and more. Nitrogen dioxide can come from unvented stoves or defective appliances and causes irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. Carbon monoxide is potentially fatal and can result from malfunctioning furnaces. Regular furnace maintenance by experienced professionals can protect you from these risks. Ventilators can also expel polluted air and bring in clean air from the outdoors.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Many household products emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as gases. Paints, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, disinfectants, air fresheners, and some furnishings are common sources of VOCs. Some of these VOCs may have adverse health effects, such as respiratory irritation, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue.
Ventilators can help filter VOCs out of your home. In addition, you should open a window and follow all manufacturer instructions when using products that emit VOCs.
Products to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Hanson’s Plumbing & Heating offers a variety of useful products that reduce indoor air pollutants and help you improve the indoor air quality in your home.
Air Purifiers
Air purifiers capture and eliminate biological contaminants, including pollen, mold, dust, fungi, and common pathogens. An air purifier protects you from allergies, asthma, sneezing, coughing, and airborne illnesses. It also protects your HVAC equipment from harmful pollutants, extending its lifespan and saving you money on maintenance and repairs.
Hanson’s installs Bryant® air purifiers, which capture up to 95% of particles down to 0.3 microns and kill up to 99 percent of captured germs, pollen, and mold.
Dehumidifiers
Humidity can make your home feel hotter than it is and damage wooden floors, cabinets, and furniture. Mold, mildew, and other pollutants also thrive in humid environments. That’s why a whole-house dehumidifier is vital for protecting your indoor air quality, comfort, and health.
Hanson’s is an authorized installer of Bryant® dehumidifiers, which offer a variety of useful features. These include automated operation with zoning capabilities and the ability to capture particles down to three microns.
Humidifiers
Dry winter air causes many health issues, including allergy flare-ups, respiratory symptoms, and dry skin. It also threatens your home, making wood brittle and cracking walls. Dry air can even increase static electricity, which may damage sensitive electronics.
Prevent these issues with a whole-house humidifier, which adds a natural amount of moisture back into the air. Hanson’s installs a range of quality Bryant® humidifiers to help you maintain good indoor air quality in your home.
UV Lamps
Bacteria, mold, and other contaminants can grow inside your HVAC system and circulate throughout your house, putting you at risk of infection and illness. A UV lamp works by emitting ultraviolet light inside your ductwork, killing existing contaminants and preventing more from growing.
Hanson’s installs high-quality UV lamps from Bryant® to keep your home safe and protect your indoor air quality.
Ventilators
Ventilators remove indoor air pollutants from your home and prevent your indoor air from becoming stale. They work by expelling air and replacing it with fresh, pre-conditioned air from the outdoors. A ventilator helps rid your home of airborne pollutants, such as certain combustion byproducts, biological contaminants, and VOCs. It’s also useful for combating excessive moisture and odors. Ventilators work year-round, heating or cooling outdoor air as necessary.
Hanson’s installs quiet and compact Bryant® ventilators, which mount directly on your furnace or return ducts.
Protect Your Indoor Air Quality with Hanson’s
Many indoor air pollutants are common in Minnesota homes, including combustion byproducts, biological contaminants, and VOCs. But that doesn’t mean you have to just live with them.
Hanson’s Plumbing & Heating provides a variety of products to eliminate pollutants and maintain healthy indoor air quality in your home. Contact us today to learn more about installing these reliable products.
