As you and your family spend more time cooped up indoors during the wintertime, you may be concerned about your indoor air quality. Poor indoor air quality can create a wide range of issues for your family. Fortunately, we’re going to share some of our best tips below on how to enhance your indoor air quality throughout the winter season.
Why Is Indoor Air Quality Important During Winter?
When winter settles in, you’ll rely on your heating system to stay warm. This means closing up all your doors and windows to prevent cold outside air from coming inside. Unfortunately, when you close off natural ventilation through those doors and windows, indoor pollutants can build up quickly. Some of the most common pollutants include dust, mold spores, volatile organic compounds, and pet dander.
One unique attribute of Florida homes is that we’re more vulnerable to moisture-related issues. This is because humidity levels still remain relatively high during the winter months. When humidity is high, mold and mildew growth can take hold. These will reduce your air quality and can damage your home’s building materials and your belongings.
Signs of Poor Indoor Air Quality
There are various signs that you should always be on the lookout for that can indicate you have poor air quality in your home. The sooner you address these issues, the sooner you can increase the quality of air that you’re breathing in each day. Some of the most common indicators include increased allergy flare-ups, persistent odors, excessive dust buildup, frequent headaches, and visible mold and mildew growth.
You may notice dry skin, respiratory discomfort, and even irritated eyes. It can be easy to dismiss these symptoms as sickness. However, when multiple members of your home are experiencing similar symptoms, it usually points to an air quality issue. Treating your air quality is best to avoid these unfortunate conditions.
Change Air Filters Regularly
One of the simplest places to start with boosting your air quality is your HVAC air filter. We recommend pulling out your air filter once a month and checking it to see if it needs to be replaced. You can check it by holding it up to a light and looking through the filter. If you can’t see through the filter, it’s clogged full of debris and needs to be replaced with a new one.
Savvy homeowners will invest in a pleated air filter with a MERV rating between 11 and 13. These filters do cost more than traditional fiberglass filters. However, they capture more airborne contaminants like pollen, pet dander, and dust that could otherwise decrease the quality of air in your home. These filters are especially important for those who suffer from allergies, asthma, and other respiratory conditions.
Control Indoor Humidity
Another must-do to maintain clean air in your home is to control its humidity level. Because the Florida climate is very humid throughout the year, investing in a whole-home dehumidification system can be the perfect solution. This can allow you to set your desired indoor humidity level between 30% and 50%. This maximizes comfort while reducing your risk of experiencing toxic mold or mildew growth.
Apart from utilizing a dehumidification system, there are some other things you’ll want to do to ensure minimal moisture in your home. Be sure to run your range hood whenever you’re cooking on the stove. Additionally, make sure that you’re running your exhaust vents when taking a shower to let that excess steam vent directly outdoors instead of backing up inside your home.
Schedule Professional HVAC Maintenance
One commonly overlooked thing you can do to boost your indoor air quality is to get routine HVAC maintenance from one of our professionals. We recommend servicing in the early fall to prep your heating system for the upcoming season. During our maintenance service, our technicians will clean all the internal components of your system and ensure proper airflow.
When you have a well-maintained HVAC unit, it operates more effectively. This allows your HVAC filter to pick up contaminants in your air and reduces the likelihood of experiencing a breakdown.
Reduce Indoor Air Pollutants
As a homeowner, it’s important to be mindful of the different activities that can contribute to adding more pollutants to your indoor air. This way, you can avoid these activities to keep your air quality in check. Always opt for fragrance-free and low-VOC cleaning products. This will minimize the amount of irritants that can enter the air from the off-gassing of these products.
Avoid burning scented candles and using aerosols if possible. Try to keep your shoes and clothes just inside your door. This will minimize the amount of pollen, dirt, and other contaminants that circulate throughout the rooms of your home.
Clean Regularly
Regular cleaning of your home is necessary to maintain healthy indoor air throughout the winter months. Things like pet hair, dust, and other allergens can settle on various surfaces throughout your home. Regularly dusting and vacuuming your carpets and rugs with a HEPA filter vacuum will remove the majority of these contaminants. Routine bedding washing is also necessary to significantly reduce airborne contaminants in your home.
Invest in Duct Cleaning and Sealing Services
One area of your home that you may not consider having contaminants is your ductwork. However, because air is constantly circulating throughout it, it’s common for airborne particles to settle on the inside of your air ducts. Over time, your ductwork can start to develop leaks and gaps. This can allow it to pull in debris from wall and floor cavities that can further contaminate your indoor air.
We recommend investing in routine duct cleaning and sealing services. Duct cleaning will remove all the dirt and debris buildup inside your air ducts. Sealing services will create an airtight seal throughout your ducting so that it’s not pulling in any more contaminants.
Invest in IAQ Solutions
There are a couple of different indoor air quality products that you can purchase that are add-ons to your existing HVAC system. Whole-home air purification systems are great at capturing microscopic bacteria, particles, and viruses that your standard HVAC filter will miss. Those integrated with UV lighting systems can neutralize mold, viruses, and bacteria from inside your HVAC unit.
Allow for Natural Ventilation When Appropriate
One of the most effective ways to treat poor indoor air quality is with natural ventilation. This simply means opening up your doors and windows to allow fresh air to replace the stale air that’s trapped inside your home. While this isn’t feasible when temperatures are very low, it can be a good idea when temperatures outside are mild.
Be strategic on the days that you pick and only open your windows and doors for about 10 to 15 minutes to get proper air displacement. If you do happen to suffer from allergies, it’s important to pick a time when the weather is not only mild but also when the outdoor pollution level is low. Otherwise, you may be letting outdoor contaminants inside your home and aggravating your allergy symptoms.
Reliable IAQ Services
Ahoy! Cooling & Heating provides reliable IAQ services for the entire Tampa Bay, FL region. We can also help with all your air purification, UV lighting, duct cleaning, and air filter needs. Simply contact us today to schedule your next appointment with one of our helpful and friendly technicians.
