Here’s How To Freshen Up Indoor Air Circulation
You may have heard that indoor air quality is an important health concern for many households. And you may think your home’s air is all right. That’s what air filters are for, right? Yes, but filters can only do so much. Indoor air quality also depends on air circulation. If you are not exchanging indoor air for fresh outdoor air, you could have a problem.
Contaminants in household air can build up in the body over time. After such a buildup, the person becomes overly sensitive to the material. Years can pass, and suddenly there’s a reaction to hair spray, laundry products, household cleaners, pesticides, mold or pollen. This can be annoying at the least and lead to health problems.
Among ways to help keep your indoor air circulating and clean:
- Exchange fresh, outdoor air for stale indoor air whenever possible. It isn’t practical to open doors and windows when the thermometer shows 92 degrees outside. It isn’t energy efficient either. Whole-house ventilators allow a controlled amount of air exchange 24 hours a day.
- Check your air conditioner’s cycling. When your A/C comes on, it should run for 15 to 20 minutes, allowing for good air circulation through the filter — and long enough to remove humidity. If your A/C runs less than this, call an HVAC technician.
- Check the rating on your A/C’s air filter. A MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) of 5 or less may be too low to clear your air. A filter with a rating of 9 or above catches more contaminants. If you don’t know the rating on your filter, call a heating and air specialist.
- Consider a whole-house air cleaner. These remove even the smallest contaminants.
If you have questions about air circulation, please contact the indoor air experts at All Year. We would be happy to talk about improving the air quality in your home.
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