Tips for Maintaining Your Winter Indoor Air
When the cold winter winds blow, Illinois homeowners try to seal up their houses as much as possible. This will help the furnace work in the most efficient way. However, in an effort to keep things warm and cozy, you may be lowering the quality of your indoor air.
Consequences of Poor Indoor Air Quality
When a house is sealed tight, it slows down the natural exchange of stale indoor air and fresh outdoor air. All sorts of irritants like pet dander and volatile organic compounds can get into your air supply.
For people with allergies and asthma, this can mean more severe symptoms. For less sensitive people, you may find you have more frequent headaches and trouble sleeping. You may notice that you feel a ton better when you get out of the house.
Do-It-Yourself Fixes
You can improve this situation with some simple fixes. You will want to improve your cleaning game. It is important to dust and vacuum frequently to get small particles out of your living space. Consider investing in a robotic vacuum that can clean your main living space on a daily basis.
There are some things you can do to improve the exchange of air. Make sure that everyone uses exhaust fans in the bathrooms and kitchen. These are two of the main areas where VOCs like cooking oil and cleaning products get into the air.
As stale air is pulled out, fresh air will be pulled in. Consider opening windows on the sunny side of the house during the warmest part of the day. It may make your furnace work a little harder, but you will appreciate the fresh air.
Professional Solutions
If you have greater concerns about air quality, there are several ways a professional can help. You can install a ventilation system as part of your climate control ductwork. There are also single room and whole-home air filtration and purification systems that can eliminate VOCs, pollen, and bacteria from your air supply.
At Dogtown Heating, Air & Plumbing of Paxton, we work to improve your whole home climate throughout the year. We can help you with any of your heating, plumbing, cooling, and indoor air quality needs. Contact us today and let us handle your home comfort.
