Why does my house feel muggy?
Will I get sick from a musty smell in my house? It depends on what's causing the smell.
Most musty smells come from household mold, which grows in dark places with little ventilation and high humidity. That's why houses that have been shut up for a long time end up smelling musty.
The mold you can smell is harmless in most cases, but if it's particularly strong, it's a good idea to get it tested by an HVAC professional. The Geiler Company can help.
Mold can eat or digest any surface it’s growing on; this can lead to damage to your house or any furnishings in your house. Humidity and dampness in the air of your home can generate an environment that promotes mold growth. According to the EPA, indoor relative humidity (RH), should be kept under 60%, ideally between 30-50%. This will keep your house from being an environment that is friendly to mold because it is not humid enough for their growth. Having functioning, effective humidifier and dehumidifier units in your house will hinder mold growth.
If you find yourself having frequent sneezing fits, especially if they’re accompanied by watery eyes, a runny nose, or a cough, then it could be a sign of excessive allergens or pollutants in your home.
The inside of your nose is lined with a sensitive mucus membrane fed by lots of blood vessels. When this membrane is damaged and one of those blood vessels ruptures, this results in a nosebleed. Obvious causes are injury or trauma to the nose, but many people are unaware that home air quality and humidity levels can also play a major role in nosebleeds.
It’s normal for a home to have its own unique smell. However, if you’ve been noticing an unpleasant, musty smell around your home recently, it could be a sign of mold or mildew.
An allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks a harmless foreign substance, known as an allergen. Inhaling airborne allergens can cause a runny nose, congestion, watery eyes, or irritated skin — mild allergic reactions that can be managed fairly easily. However, severe reactions can trigger allergic asthma, a dangerous condition in which the airways narrow and breathing becomes difficult.
Dust allergies are caused by a reaction to insects called dust mites, specifically their droppings or decomposing bodies. Invisible to the naked eye, these tiny bugs feed on the organic matter found in household dust, such as dead skin cells and hair from humans and pets (pet dander).
It's that first cold day of the year. You turn on the heat and suddenly you are hit with an odor.
The answer depends on the problem. Let's talk about the most serious one first.