You can improve the air quality inside your Newburgh, NY home in various ways. This ensures you and your family are living in a healthy and comfortable environment that will help you avoid allergic reactions and other health problems. In addition, you can take other steps to avoid indoor air quality issues and address active IAQ issues, including HVAC maintenance.
Why Is Air Quality Important?
Indoor air quality can be affected by things like ventilation, relative humidity, temperature and contaminants. Many homes experience poor indoor air quality because of contamination from dust, mold spores, pollen, pet dander and volatile organic compounds. Exposure to these things can not only cause allergy symptoms but also affect the quality of your sleep and how well you focus. Ongoing exposure to harmful indoor air quality contaminants can lead to an increased risk of cancer and respiratory problems.
Using Ventilation for Optimal IAQ
You should be properly ventilating your home to prevent a high concentration of particulate matter in your indoor air. You probably already have exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathrooms. Use these fans to remove excess moisture, smoke and odors. You can upgrade your home’s ventilation system by having an energy recovery ventilator installed. This equipment is designed to boost ventilation while maintaining the efficiency of your home and HVAC system.
When the weather permits, you can open your windows and doors each day to allow an exchange of air between the outdoors and the inside of your home. You can also use ceiling fans to help circulate air during this process. If pollen levels are high or pollution is a concern, open your windows when the air quality is ideal, typically in the very early morning hours or late at night.
Make Healthier Indoor Air Quality Choices
You can make several changes in your home to avoid poor indoor air quality. Choose non-chemical cleaning products, skip soaps and detergents with artificial fragrances, and don’t allow people to smoke indoors.
If you’re going to be having any kind of remodeling work done in your home, work with your contractor to choose greener building materials. Many products, like carpets, paint and countertops, off-gas harmful chemicals for many months or years.
Consider Your HVAC System
Your HVAC system is a key component that you can use to maintain healthy indoor air quality. Make sure to keep up with the routine maintenance of your HVAC system. Change your filters every 30 to 90 days to trap dust and other particulate matter. Consider upgrading your filter to something more efficient. Just make sure that your heating and cooling equipment can handle the filter you’re considering. Refer to the minimum-efficiency reporting value, or MERV rating, that is on a filter. Most residential HVAC systems can handle a filter between 8 and 12 MERV.
Schedule a routine inspection of your HVAC system at least once per year. Some homeowners choose to have an inspection performed before the start of spring, when air conditioning equipment will be needed. Another inspection will take place before the start of winter when your furnace is going to turn on again. This appointment is a great time to spot issues that may be preventing you from achieving optimal indoor air quality. This includes dirty interior components and equipment strain.
You can make the process of scheduling routine maintenance more affordable by signing up for a maintenance plan. Polar Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning offers a Polar Partner Membership to clients, which includes scheduled reminders for annual service, priority service, discounts, one yearly tune-up, weekend service and more.
Whole-House Air Filtration Equipment
You can have our team install a whole-house air filtration device on your HVAC system. This equipment will provide enhanced filtration that you don’t get from regular furnace filters. Depending on the type of filter your whole-house unit uses, you can often remove as much as 99.97% of the particulate matter in your indoor air. Make sure you are having your equipment inspected annually as well to ensure it is working efficiently.
Addressing Relative Humidity
The relative humidity in your home should remain between 35% and 50%. High levels of humidity can lead to a higher concentration of particulate matter in your air. This can also make your home feel warmer than it is. Dry air can lead to sinus and skin irritation, making you more susceptible to allergies and illness.
You can remove moisture from your indoor air using a whole-home dehumidifier. This is a more effective and convenient option compared to a portable model. A whole-house humidifier can add moisture back into your air as your heating and cooling equipment runs. Upgrading to a smart thermostat with a built-in hygrometer allows you to monitor your indoor relative humidity and control your whole-house equipment as needed.
If you are frequently dealing with high humidity levels in your home, even when the weather outside is dry, consider a professional plumbing inspection. You may have a small leak present that introduces moisture into your home. This is a major risk for potential mold growth, which can impact your health. Lastly, seal around windows and doors to prevent humid air from coming inside. You can do this using weatherstripping or caulk.
Lifestyle Changes to Improve IAQ
Cleaning your home regularly will reduce the amount of dust, dust mites and other particulate matter on floors, furniture, in your air and other surfaces. Wash your bedding weekly and use allergy-proof covers to minimize your exposure to allergens.
Certain types of flooring are much easier to maintain and don’t harbor particulate matter. Hardwood flooring is ideal for healthy indoor air quality. Carpet can hold onto a lot more particulate matter, including pet dander and fur. Use a vacuum with HEPA filtration every few days to pick up debris.
You can incorporate plants into your home décor to help eliminate toxins from your indoor air. Plants that do a great job of reducing VOCs include the peace lily, aloe vera, and different varieties of ivy. Just be sure not to overwater your plants, as this can increase relative humidity and encourage mold growth.
Upgrading to Home Smart Devices
Different smart devices can help you maintain healthy indoor air quality. Some smart thermostats monitor pollutant levels. You can access this information remotely and control your HVAC system accordingly. Some smart air purifiers run automatically when they detect high levels of pollutants in the air.
Polar Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning can assist with all your indoor air quality needs in the Newburgh area. Our team can install a whole-house air purification unit onto your HVAC system to remove particulate matter. We also install whole-house dehumidifiers and humidifiers to help you gain control over your indoor relative humidity. Our Polar Partner Membership features many benefits that can help you maintain healthy indoor air quality throughout the year. This includes routine annual maintenance. Contact Polar Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in Newburgh today to find out more or to schedule an appointment.
