The Short Answer Is: To make your home's air better during chilly winters, try these easy steps. First, make sure your furnace or home's heating system is in proper working order. Don't be afraid to crack open your windows for a bit to let some fresh air in. Then, consider getting an air purifier with a HEPA filter to zap away indoor pollutants. Keep your home clean and dust-free by professionally having your ducts cleaned, and don't smoke indoors. Adding moisture into the air from a humidifier can do wonders for your indoor air quality.
With the coldest time of year approaching, and the weather can have a significant impact on the air quality outside and inside. there’s a good chance that you and the other members of your household are going to be spending more and more time indoors. This means that it will be especially important to keep the air quality within your home as clean and healthy as possible.
During the winter season, we tend to seal up our homes and keep our heating systems running frequently. However, when our homes are sealed up like this and circulating warm air, it results in there being less ventilation present. When that fresh air from the outdoors isn’t being allowed into your house, it doesn’t get the opportunity to blend with your indoor air and create a cleaner overall product.
Fortunately, there are certain measures you can take to improve your indoor air quality this winter for your family, and you can do so without sacrificing your warmth or comfort.
Air purifiers are devices designed to remove things like pollutants, irritants, and allergens from your air, and since you’re likely to be spending a huge percentage of your time indoors this winter, purchasing one would be a wise investment.
There are different types of air purifiers that are more suitable for certain sized rooms, and you have the option of buying separate ones for different areas of your home. Certain modern air purifiers have sensors built in that allow them to detect the levels of pollutants present in your air. This way, they only work when they need to, adjusting their fan speed as necessary and conserving energy by slowing or shutting down when the air quality is acceptable. These devices are usually on the inexpensive side, and they will have a huge impact on the overall quality of your indoor air.
Your HVAC system relies on your home’s ducts to circulate warm and cool air throughout the household. However, when these ducts get dirty over time, the air that circulates through them will begin to pick up particles of dirt, dust, and other kinds of debris that worsen the quality of your air.
To combat this, enlist the assistance of local ductwork professionals to inspect and clean the ducts in your home before the winter arrives. In addition to cleaning them thoroughly, trained ventilation experts will also be able to confirm that the ducts are all properly sealed and not in need of repairs. When the air circulating through your home picks up too many of these irritants and pollutants, it can cause respiratory issues and other problems, so having Columbus duct cleaning regularly is not something that should be overlooked.
Believe it or not, the health and efficiency of your heating system actually have a significant impact on the quality of your indoor air. It’s important to have your furnace tuned up by a professional technician on a yearly basis, and having it done in the fall is a good way to help improve your air quality during the winter.
When a heating appliance has not been maintained consistently, it generally has to work harder and burn more energy in the process of circulating the warm air throughout the home. When it struggles like this to do its job, the weak circulation also becomes more likely to kick particles of dust, dirt, and other irritants into the home’s air. However, when the appliance is well taken care of, the air it circulates will be significantly cleaner and healthier to breathe. Throughout the area in and around Worthington, OH, our heating experts at Buckeye Heating, Cooling & Plumbing are always available to conduct a Columbus furnace tune-up for you at an affordable price.
Poor indoor air quality isn’t always just about pollutants, allergens, and irritants. Often, and especially during the winter, the main problem with your air will be that it’s simply too dry. Much like polluted air, air that’s lacking in moisture can result in respiratory issues as well as itchy eyes, nose, and throat. Additionally, dry indoor air also tends to result in dry skin, mouth, and eyes.
By installing a humidifier in your home, you can significantly raise the level of moisture in the air, alleviating these negative effects on your health and comfort. Besides those benefits, moisturized air also has a much easier time transferring heat, which means that a humidifier will help keep you warm during the winter without having to rely quite so much on your furnace.
Making a point of giving your house a thorough cleaning on a routine basis can go a long way toward having better air quality. Regular cleanings help to rid your home of many different irritants, including pet dander, pollen, dust, and mold, just to name a few. There are certain areas of your home that tend to attract the highest concentration of allergens and pollutants, and these are the places you want to assign the highest priority when doing your cleaning.
Typically, three of the most important items to clean are your drapes, bedding, and clothing. It’s advised to do laundry consistently because clothing and bedding, in particular, have the potential to add huge amounts of indoor air pollutants to your home. You can unwittingly bring things like pollen, dirt, and various other irritants into your house via your clothing, and if you let piles of laundry sit around for too long without being washed, those pollutants can spread.
After your drapes, bedding, and clothing, your carpeting and rugs should be your next priority. Particles of many different air contaminants can be present in the carpets and rugs of your home. You should try to vacuum these surfaces regularly using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. This way, you will eliminate as high a percentage of the potential air pollutants as possible. We understand that not everyone has the time and physical ability to conduct thorough cleanings of their home. If your time or physical capacity is limited, you might consider the option of hiring professional cleaning help.
You might think cracking a window open in the dead of winter sounds crazy, but it's actually a smart move for your indoor air quality. Even when it's chilly outside, letting some fresh air into your home for a few minutes can do wonders. Here's why:
First off, it helps kick indoor pollutants and stale air to the curb. Our homes can trap all sorts of nasty stuff like dust, allergens, and even fumes from cleaning products. When you open a window, you're giving those bad boys a one-way ticket out. Plus, it can help reduce humidity levels and prevent moisture buildup, which can lead to mold and mildew issues.
Secondly, fresh air just feels good! It can boost your mood and make your space feel less stuffy. And let's not forget that it's free, natural, and doesn't come with any funky chemicals like some air fresheners do. So, even during the winter, a little ventilation goes a long way in keeping your home's air clean and comfortable. Just make sure to only do this sparingly since the more cold air you let in the more your heat will kick on.
Our team at Buckeye Heating, Cooling & Plumbing provides a different sort of professional service. Since 1948, we’ve been assisting homeowners in the Greater Worthington area with their home comfort by handling their heating and cooling needs, and we’re always available to help you find ways to improve the quality of your home’s indoor air. Our technicians perform expert installations, repairs, and maintenance.
We have remained locally owned and operated, and we’ve committed ourselves to be upstanding members of our community. We never resort to high-pressure sales tactics, and we strive to always be upfront and honest with our customers. Our goal is for you not only to be comfortable in your home but also to be fully comfortable in working with us. We have a longstanding reputation for quality and reliability, and we look forward to continuing to build on that reputation for many years to come.
If you need assistance with any HVAC issue or improving the air quality of your residence, we’re ready to help. Give us a call at Buckeye Heating, Cooling & Plumbing today, and we’ll schedule an appointment.