Indoor Air Quality Solutions
When it comes to improving the quality of the air you and your family are breathing, we go the extra mile to ensure you are receiving the best air possible.
There are simple solutions that can be applied that will ensure that the air entering your home is of the highest possible quality and completely free of common household contaminants. In this article we are going to touch on a few of these solutions you may consider.
Bring Nature Indoors for Clean Air
One of the best ways to begin purifying the air in your environment is completely naturally. Plants are nature’s own air purifiers, and many have the capacity to capture toxins in their structures and assimilate them harmlessly into the environment.
Plants pull in the carbon dioxide that humans breathe out and replace it with oxygen that humans and other animals need to breathe in. Bringing plants in the home is a beautiful symbol of that important relationship and helps keep your home fresh and vibrant.
Crack the Windows and Keep the Floors Clean
If your home is a newer home, and even if it isn’t, there is a good chance that it is not breathing as well as it could. Typically, it is only circulating the air within over time, and this can be a major factor that detracts from the quality of the interior air. By cracking the window, you are allowing fresh air into your home, and this can increase air quality.
You can also increase your air quality even further by reducing the amount of dust and airborne contaminants that are flitting about in your atmosphere by keeping the floors clean.
Turn Your Furnace Fan On
Another great way to improve air quality is by turning on the furnace fan. This encourages the circulation of air throughout the home as well as pulling in old air and blowing back fresh air. For best results, you must make sure that your home’s furnace filters are being changed regularly.
This can be taken a step further by attaching a UV filtration system to your home’s air duct system. These UV filtration systems have been known to increase air quality by as much as 90%.
Keeping a well-maintained furnace is another important way to keep good air quality throughout your home’s interior. If your furnace system is not up to par, then it will not be cleaning our air as well as it could be. This is part of a general maintenance service offered by most furnace service providers. If you have not had your furnace cleaned in a while, it may be a good idea to schedule a cleaning as soon as possible.
Change Your Air Filters According to Your Manufacturer’s Recommendations
As the frontline against poor quality air conditions in your home, it is important to have your HVAC filters changed according to manufacturer’s recommendations. A typical HVAC system will be circulating around 1,000 cubic feet of air each day. This means that the entire air content of your home is being passed through this filter several times in a day.
A properly working filter will be removing a considerable amount of particulate matter and airborne contaminants from this flow of air. For this reason, it is important to change these HEPA filters once they have reached a point of complete saturation.
Clogs Contribute to Unhealthy Air
A clogged air filter is one of the primary reasons that contaminated air will make its way back into your home. This can cause air contamination that upsets allergic symptoms in certain individuals. Those with respiratory conditions or asthma may be especially at risk.
If you have pets in your home, they will add their own brand of debris to your filtration system. Pets produce a considerable amount of pet dander and hair, and this can easily become airborne as well. You may not see the same reactions in everyone, but it is important to be aware that this can affect health in a bad way. Changing HVAC air filters regularly prevents serious problems.
Keep Your Ventilation System Clean
Another good way to improve the indoor air quality is by allowing for improved circulation of fresh air from the outdoors. This can be accomplished by something as simple as opening the windows and doors. Of course, this is not always possible in cold winter weather or the heat of summer.
The perfect solution lies in a well-appointed ventilation system that removes stagnant unhealthy air and replaces this with fresh air from the outdoors. Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) are not always a standard component of most residential homes.
The goal of bringing in fresh clean air is that you will achieve balance with the fresh air from outside, but still maintain a well-conditioned atmosphere inside. With a very small amount of ventilation room required, the HRV removes stale air from the warmer areas of the home while replacing this with fresh air into the bedrooms and utility rooms. The heat exchange within the device allows the temperatures to remain the same so no extra strain is placed on your HVAC system.
Poor ventilation is also one of the primary causes for health risks that come from poor quality air circulation. Some of the health conditions that can develop from unhealthy breathing can include chronic lung disease and other infections.
Reduce Humidity and Mold Using Dehumidifiers and Exhaust Fans
A humid environment sets the stage for a variety of other respiratory conditions that can arise. Humidity enters the home from human activities like cooking, washing, and bathing. The ideal home humidity rate is between 30% and 60%. If humidity temperatures exceed these normal temperatures, the results can be bad for the health.
Toxic molds and other airborne bacteria thrive in warm moist conditions, and this is why it is so important to keep the humidity levels of your home down to a minimum. The optimal level of humidity in your home will be decided by you and your range of indoor activities. It is always best to remain within the 45% and 55% humidity rating as this is most conducive to eliminating bacteria and other pathogens.
Comfortable Humidity: 30% – 60%
Recommended Humidity: 45% – 55%
High Humidity: 55% – 80%
Active growing mold can spread very quickly and produce spores that are carried far and wide. Spores can contaminate the atmosphere in the home and cause a musty dank smell. When inhaled for prolonged periods of time and in great quantities, these spores can be very dangerous to one’s health. The best humidity levels for avoiding mold conditions are between 45% and 55%.
Let J. D. Swallow Heating and Air Conditioning perform a thorough check on the air quality in your home. We’ll test the air in your home to see if it is safe, or if it could be causing unnecessary health problems and suffering. We offer no obligation no charge in home air quality test and assessment – Call (613) 822-7974 today!
