The air in your home should be comfortable and inviting — no matter what the season. However, the list of compromising air quality culprits can be extensive and different each season! Ventilation issues, excessive humidity, not enough humidity, smoke, mites, dust…and the list can go on! For most homeowners, there is likely a whole-house indoor air quality solution. In fact, we refer to them as indoor air essentials.

Filtration

Opening doors, walking, sitting, cooking, and even sleeping brings in and stirs up “stuff” in the air.  That “stuff” found floating in the ductwork in your home is often called “particulates.” Those pesky indoor particulates need to be removed. That’s where filtration becomes important to indoor air quality. 

A standard HVAC return air filter is designed to capture large-sized particulates and is crucial to the performance of your HVAC system. Routinely replacing the air filter as directed by the manufacturer's guidelines can help protect your HVAC equipment. According to the EPA, a clogged air filter can increase your air conditioner's energy consumption by up to 15%.¹

Residential furnaces and heat pumps commonly use 1 to 4 MERV rated filters. MERV means Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. These filters may stop larger particles from passing through to the HVAC equipment.

When the MERV rating number is high, there is a better chance of trapping “a significant fraction of cat and dog allergens, and a small portion of dust mite allergens.”² But, some residential HVAC systems may not be designed to accommodate high MERV rated filters. Therefore, talk with your licensed professional HVAC dealer about your HVAC manufacturer’s recommended filter type and MERV ratings.

Ventilation

While it’s great to have a tight, well-insulated home to save on energy bills and keep you comfortable during these cold, winter months, your sealed home construction can trap  stale air. Pet smells, cooking odors, and off-gassing of household furnishings, like carpets and furniture, may combine to create an indoor environment that‘s not as fresh or comfortable for your family as you‘d like.

What is the solution to ventilation issues in the winter months?

• Heat Recovery Ventilators: HRVs work by bringing fresh air into your home while expelling dry, stale air.

This is particularly helpful during the winter months when opening a window could compromise your comfort and energy bill. The heat from the indoor air is transferred to the fresh, outdoor air brought in by the HRV, maintaining the cozy comfort and freshness.

• Energy Recovery Ventilators: ERVs exchange heat from the stale indoor air to the fresh air drawn into your home while keeping moisture in the air where you want it. This may be especially helpful on cold, dry days.

Humidification

Are you constantly reaching for that lip balm or body lotion? If so, you may be experiencing the effects of low humidity, a common indoor comfort issue during the winter months. Proper humidification is an important part of indoor comfort, but it also helps to lessen static electricity and other damaging effects to furniture and other fixtures in your home. In general, a comfortable humidity level recommended by various environmental organizations may range between 30-60%. 

If dry air seems to be an indoor air quality concern in your home, a whole team team humidifier. These devices are designed to automatically maintain comfortable and consistent humidity levels in homes when dry indoor air might cause problems. If you sense that your outdoor comfort is being sacrificed by extremely low indoor. If you sense that your indoor comfort is being sacrificed by extremely low indoor humidity levels, contact your licensed professional HVAC dealer for possible whole-house solution.

This article was included in the 2019 fall/winter edition of Just Comfort™ Magazine. 

1  Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). (n.d.). Retrieved from EPA: https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/residential-air-cleaners-second-edition-summary-available-information_.html
2 Nowak, Matt, Brodsky, Eric, Curd, Duncan, Wolfe, Jeremy. Humidity and Occupants. Arlington, VA: AHRI, 30 January 2017. Presentation.