Maintaining Your Indoor Air Quality This Fall

Autumn is the time to re-evaluate your indoor air quality. Clean indoor air boosts the immune system and freshens up your life. With this in mind, we will review some easy ways to maintain indoor air quality this autumn.

The EPA recognizes poor indoor air quality among the top health risks facing Americans. Besides reduced ventilation, there are some things you can monitor to try to keep your air quality at a decent level. Neglecting the issue could result in asthma and other respiratory problems for family members. The following actions are part of a  proactive approach to ensure fresh, high-quality indoor air.

Changing the air filter should be a top priority for homes that depend on their HVAC system as their primary gateway for clean air. By replacing your AC air filter periodically, you can help improve the air quality in your home significantly. Air filters act as a trap for potentially harmful pollutants.  By changing out your air filter regularly and using the correct type of air filter, you can help reduce the number of undesirable particulates in the air you breathe. Replacing your filters before the start of fall not only ensures your indoor air quality stays clean, you also prevent your furnace or heat pump from working harder than necessary. This will save you money on your utility bills and prolong the life of your HVAC system.

Smoking is one of the major causes of contaminated air quality inside a home – and has a higher risk of health problems. Its effect is immediately seen on children & elders. After the smoke has been in the air, it settles on surfaces in rooms throughout your home. This smoke can be ingested by young children and cause health problems. It is important to maintain a smoke-free environment, not only for homeowners but for guests too. We’d recommend creating a separate outdoor space for smokers.

As the weather turns cooler, we begin to close up our homes. The limiting of fresh air and natural ventilation can lead to problems with too much or not enough humidity. As temperatures drop, the air becomes drier. This is further exacerbated by our efforts to keep our homes warm, leading to chapped lips, dry skin, and breathing issues. One solution is to install a whole-home humidifier to work with your HVAC system to add extra moisture to your home’s air. Due to the lack of proper ventilation, high levels of humidity can build up. High humidity can attract mold and cause respiratory problems and allergies.

Furniture, drapes, and rugs can hold unhealthy particles which can cause allergies in sensitive individuals. Vacuum carpets and area rugs once or twice a week with a HEPA filter-equipped vacuum to keep dust from accumulating. Allergic individuals should leave the house while it is being vacuumed because vacuuming can actually increase airborne levels of mite allergens and other biological contaminants. Look for CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® vacuums. These vacuums have been tested and found to prevent allergens from going back into the air.

Proper ventilation is a prerequisite for every home, and it’s especially true in the kitchen where different heat sources are used to cook food. Studies show that air can be unhealthy to breathe when people cook in kitchens with poor ventilation. The best way to ventilate your kitchen is to use a properly installed, high-efficiency range hood over your stove.

Maintaining good indoor air quality in your home is a must for both your comfort and your health. If you have any questions or concerns about your HVAC system as we transition into autumn, give us a call. Our HVAC experts will be happy to prep your system, diagnose any issues, and provide tailored solutions for your home.