Polluted, poor-quality air is more than a minor annoyance. It is detrimental to our long-term health, as the World Health Organization has stated.
But you might feel that once you’ve left a large town or city’s busy, exhaust fumes-ridden streets, you can seek salvation in the clean air inside your home.
However, that’s not necessarily the case. Pollution and toxins can build up inside, leaving you with poor indoor air quality.
This guide will examine the link between air quality and proper ventilation. Discover the steps you need to take to improve the air inside your home.
Cooler Months and Your Home Ventilation
When the temperature outside drops, you’ll want to move into hibernation mode. That means cozy, heated homes and keeping windows and doors closed and sealed.
However, when you do that, you dramatically reduce the natural home ventilation you had through the summer months. The result? Poor indoor air quality.
When that happens, you can soon find yourself surrounded by contaminants that cannot escape.
Cooking on stoves or burning wood on a fire can leave a room full of smoke and toxins. All this can aggravate those suffering from allergies or eczema.
In addition, poor ventilation increases the moisture in your home. A warm, humid environment with stale air can increase your chance of mold.
What Makes up Poor Air Quality?
The air we breathe contains smaller particles of pollutants. However, the presence and concentration vary. But these pollutants can be a variety of troublesome particles, including pollen, dust, chemicals, or vehicle emissions.
When your home lacks ventilation, these pollutants become trapped in a small space. Sometimes, you can even feel the poor air quality, like coughing or sore, dry eyes.
In Plainfield, IL, the local weather means you get high humidity. Here, mold will be of most concern. Regional vegetation can also release allergens into the air that can get into your home.
Though some small efforts – like cleaning to remove dust – will help, it doesn’t address the accumulation of toxins over time in an enclosed space.
You can buy indoor air quality monitors to help you measure the problem. These gadgets will detect VOCs and carbon dioxide levels.
They also measure humidity and room temperature. So you get a comprehensive overview of your air quality indoors.
Home Activities and Air Qualities
There are a few activities that can negatively impact your air quality. Cooking is one. An exhaust fan can help improve this, or you can leave windows open during and after cooking a meal.
Burning wood on a fire or candles also impacts your air quality. Beeswax or soy candles have a cleaner burn, so opt for these where possible.
Some cleaning agents and air fresheners can impact your air quality. Check the ingredients on bottles and use ones made with natural ingredients. When cleaning, open the window to allow more fresh air.
Your heating unit can release pollutants, but you can counter this by replacing filters. You should also consider investing in an air purifier.
Some hobbies can impact your air quality. That might include craft activities or decorating, both of which can release fumes.
The Role of Proper Ventilation in Homes
The fight against indoor air pollution begins with ventilation. That is crucial throughout the year, but particularly in the colder months. That’s because you won’t have the natural ventilation from open windows.
Ventilation ensures you get a continuous circulation of indoor and outdoor air running through your home.
It dilutes the pollutants and ensures they don’t accumulate. For example, that will reduce the concentration of things like toxins from cooking.
So your home will feel fresher, and you won’t get high readings on carbon dioxide and other measurements if you use an air monitor.
In cooler months, your challenge is keeping the house warm while maintaining high ventilation levels. There are several ways you can do that.
First, you can ensure your HVAC unit is well-maintained and change the filters as part of any service. Check whether yours has a heat recovery ventilator.
That provides ventilation without losing warm inside air. It removes the stale air from your home efficiently.
In small, humid spaces like bathrooms, add an exhaust fan. It will help remove air and moisture, preventing mold from growing.
If you can, open the windows briefly to increase the ventilation in your home. A good time to do this is after cleaning or cooking. An exhaust fan above your cooker is also a good idea.
Sealing your home is also essential. That will help keep your home warm and ensure your ventilation system works efficiently.
Ventilation and Energy Efficiency
Having an energy-efficient home is vital for the environment and better for your energy bills.
When ventilating your home, you’ll need to strike a balance. You want to ensure you aren’t overheating an indoor space to counter cold air from the outside.
The best way to get that balance is to use modern, energy-efficient heating systems with good ventilation. It will help optimize the temperature in your home, boosting air quality while keeping a comfortable temperature.
You can also take steps, like using smart technology to switch off heating systems when you are away from home for the day.
Keeping Your Heating System: Scheduling Maintenance
You should schedule maintenance dates to ensure your heating and ventilation systems stay in good working order. A broken or poorly performing ventilation system will leave you with an air quality issue.
Book a professional to change or clean filters and inspect the system for blockages. Do this before you hit the winter months, when you’ll rely on your systems to work efficiently.
A well-maintained ventilation system will extend the lifespan, helping you save money in the long run.
Make a Positive Impact On Your Indoor Air Quality
As you can see, indoor air quality can suffer from the pollutants surrounding us in modern life. Proper ventilation is integral to keeping indoor air clean and safe.
It’s crucial you check your ventilation in Plainfield, IL, is working effectively. So book a service with our team at Leto Plumbing and Heating now.
