Do you think that air pollution only refers to the air outside? Think again. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside your home is 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside of your home.
Why?
Modern construction techniques have a lot to do with the poor indoor air quality of our homes. The same energy-efficient construction techniques that save money on your energy bills trap pollutants inside your home with little chance for escape. But there is a lot your can do to improve the indoor air quality of your home.
Fresh Air
Let fresh air circulate through your home as much as possible. In the summer, put fans in the windows to bring fresh air inside. On hotter days, open the windows at night to bring in the cooler night air, but keep them closed during the day to keep the heat out. Even in the winter, you should open some windows at least once a week to “air out” your house. (To avoid running up your heating bill, be sure that you turn off your heat while you’re “airing out’ your house).
Air Filters
Air filters not only protect your HVAC system from dust and other air borne particles, but they also help to clean your air. Air filters trap these particles and keep them from circulating in the air. To take advantage of their air cleaning ability, buy good quality ones (such as HEPA filters) and change them regularly. We recommend that you check your air filters monthly and clean or replace them every 3 months as needed.
Eliminate Moisture
Mold spores and dust mites, two of the biggest pollutants that effect indoor air quality, thrive in moisture. To keep these two allergens in check, run dehumidifiers in rooms that tends to be highly humid (such as kitchen and bathroom). Run exhaust fans after you finish taking a shower or bath or washing dishes.
Air Cleaners
Air cleaners are designed specifically to improve indoor air quality. You can buy either stand alone units to clean the air of particular areas, or you can buy whole house air cleaners. Either way, these air cleaners remove indoor air pollution that other methods miss.
If you are serious about improving the indoor air quality of your home, try these tips. They have been proven to help you achieve cleaner and healthier indoor air.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about improving indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Home Comfort services the Mishawaka/South Bend areas of Indiana. To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.