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Indoor air quality testing

Indoor air quality testing in Carlsbad

ClearHome Labs measures indoor air where daily life actually happens: bedrooms, nurseries, kitchens, home offices, living areas, and other rooms selected during the intake. The assessment can include particle counts across six size ranges, carbon dioxide, total volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, humidity, carbon monoxide, and combustion-gas screening within the confirmed scope. We compare rooms with one another and with outdoor conditions, look for activity-related spikes, and provide an independent plan. ClearHome does not sell HVAC equipment or air purifiers.

Price
$450confirm scope
Measured
Particles, CO2, VOCsformaldehyde, humidity, CO
Baseline
Indoor vs. outdoorand by room use
Independent
No equipment salestesting only
What it shows

What a professional home air test can show

Consumer monitors are useful for trends. A structured in-home assessment adds location, comparison, controlled observations, instrument context, and a written interpretation. ClearHome uses professional instruments, including a Met One Aerocet 831 particle counter, an Aeroqual Series 500 multi-parameter monitor for CO2, VOCs, and formaldehyde, a combustible-gas detector, and an ambient carbon monoxide meter. ClearHome can help answer questions such as:

  • Are particle levels higher indoors than outside?
  • Does cooking create a large particle or combustion spike?
  • Does bedroom carbon dioxide rise when the door is closed overnight?
  • Is one remodeled room showing higher VOC or formaldehyde readings?
  • Is humidity staying elevated in a way that also affects mold risk?
  • Does the existing HVAC filter or portable purifier materially change measured particles?
  • Are readings concentrated in one room or distributed through the home?
Conditions at the time of testing

The visit documents conditions at the time of testing. Some pollutants vary by hour, season, weather, occupancy, and product use, so longer monitoring or laboratory sampling may be recommended when a short measurement cannot answer the question reliably.

What we measure

What we measure

Airborne particles

Particles can come from outdoor infiltration, cooking, candles, combustion, dust, cleaning, textiles, pets, renovations, and biological material. ClearHome counts particles across the instrument's six reported size ranges, from 0.3 to 10 microns, and compares indoor patterns with an outdoor baseline. Particle counts are not the same as chemical identification. A high count shows a pattern that deserves source investigation, but the counter alone cannot tell whether a particle is dust, smoke, pollen, mold, or another material.

Carbon dioxide and ventilation

People exhale carbon dioxide, so room CO2 is useful as a ventilation indicator under occupied conditions. A bedroom or office can become poorly ventilated even when the home's central system appears to be working normally. ClearHome interprets CO2 in the context of occupancy, room volume, doors and windows, HVAC operation, and outdoor air.

VOCs and formaldehyde

Volatile organic compounds can be emitted by paints, coatings, composite wood, furniture, cleaners, fragrances, adhesives, stored fuels, and many other products. Formaldehyde is one specific VOC and can be measured separately. The report clearly identifies whether the service uses a real-time screening instrument, a laboratory sample, or both. A total-VOC sensor can show relative patterns and spikes but does not identify every individual compound.

Humidity, temperature, and moisture context

Humidity affects comfort, pollutant behavior, and the conditions that support mold growth. ClearHome measures it with room and weather context rather than treating one universal number as a diagnosis.

Carbon monoxide and combustion screening

ClearHome can screen for carbon monoxide and other combustion indicators included in the confirmed scope. This service does not replace required carbon monoxide alarms, licensed appliance service, or emergency response. If a dangerous gas condition is suspected, leave the area and contact the appropriate emergency or utility service.

Process

Our room-by-room process

STEP 01

Intake

We ask about room use, odors, recent furniture or construction, HVAC zones, filters, portable purifiers, combustion appliances, window habits, pets, and the timing of the concern.

STEP 02

Outdoor baseline

Outdoor conditions influence indoor measurements. We record a local comparison so a reading is not interpreted as though the house exists in isolation.

STEP 03

Interior measurements

We test selected rooms under documented conditions. When useful, we observe a source event or system change, such as cooking, operating a purifier, opening a window, or changing HVAC mode.

Findings and action plan

Your report explains the pattern, likely sources, confidence, limitations, and practical next step. Recommendations may include source removal, ventilation changes, filtration, maintenance, longer monitoring, or a targeted laboratory test.

Local context

North County air-quality patterns

North County homes can move between open-window coastal living and closed, mechanically conditioned periods. Outdoor smoke, pollen, traffic, marine moisture, cooking, renovations, new furnishings, and tightly sealed rooms can create very different patterns from one home to the next.

ClearHome does not assume that coastal air is automatically clean or that a newer home is automatically well ventilated. We measure the actual rooms and document the conditions that were present.

Price

Air quality testing price

The current website price is $450. Before booking, ClearHome confirms the included rooms, parameters, visit length, whether any laboratory samples are included, and the expected report timing.

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Request this service

Request air quality testing

Leave your email or phone and we'll reach out to confirm scope and schedule. Tell us the rooms and the concern that prompted testing.

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FAQ

Indoor air quality FAQs

Is this the same as mold testing?

No. Air-quality testing measures particles, ventilation indicators, chemical screening values, humidity, and combustion indicators within the confirmed scope. Mold testing investigates moisture conditions and may include mold-specific laboratory samples. The services can be combined when the questions overlap.

Can you identify every VOC in my home?

Not with a general TVOC sensor. A screening meter can identify relative levels and changes, but compound-specific identification requires an appropriate laboratory method. Your proposal and report should state which method is included.

Will a normal reading prove that the air is healthy?

No. The assessment covers the listed parameters under the conditions and time measured. Pollutants can vary, and no limited test can establish the absence of every possible contaminant.

Should I turn off my air purifier before the visit?

Follow the preparation instructions for your testing question. In some cases, normal operation is the right baseline. In others, comparing purifier-on and purifier-off conditions is useful. Do not make an unrequested change immediately before the visit.

Do you sell air purifiers or HVAC work?

No. ClearHome provides independent testing and recommendations. If equipment or mechanical work is suggested, you can choose the vendor.

Can you test after remodeling?

Yes. Document the completion date, products used, ventilation history, new furniture, and rooms involved. Depending on the concern, short-term screening, longer monitoring, or laboratory sampling may be appropriate.