Improve Your Indoor Air Quality This Winter | Moore Heating
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Improve Your Indoor Air Quality this Winter

child with houseplants which improve indoor air quality

Nov
17

There may not be much snow in Anchorage, but the cold temperatures and icy roads prove winter has arrived in Alaska. This time of year we keep our doors and windows shut tight and rely on our furnaces to keep us warm from the bitter cold outside. This can quickly create some indoor air quality issues, but there are steps you can take to create a better quality environment in which to live and breathe.

Poor Air Quality Creates Health Concerns

Upper respiratory concerns become elevated when indoor air quality is compromised. Symptoms can include irritation of the nose, eyes, and throat, which often leads to more severe asthma or other respiratory issues. Dr. E, Neil Schacter, the medical director of respiratory care at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York is quoted as saying:

“If you live in a home with chronically poor air quality, you can experience frequent headaches, long lasting colds, and bronchitis as well as chronic asthma.”

Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality

There are a wide variety of pollutants that contribute to poor air quality in the home. Some of the most common include solvents like perfumes, scented products, paint, air fresheners, glue, and cleaning products; combustion by-products like wood-burning stoves, water heaters, stoves, fireplaces, and dryers; outside sources like radon, molds, and dust. Another major culprit to bad air quality is pets. Their dander and other particles, which are usually found on fur or feathers can exacerbate existing breathing conditions like asthma.

Solutions to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

  • Keep Your Home Clean. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it can be vital to your health this winter. When cleaning your floors, be sure to use a HEPA filter vacuum once a week, this ensures you are removing the particles from the air and not just recirculating them.
  • Use Natural Cleaning Products. Many of the cleaning products you buy off the shelf have harmful and potent chemicals in them that will damage your air quality. Whenever possible try to use non-toxic cleaners that will release fewer fumes.
  • Get Your Air Ducts Cleaned. We are breathing all of the air that passes through our home’s heating system so check to see when the last time your air ducts were cleaned. Ducts can be cleaned any time of the year and will remove accumulated dust, mold, and allergens. Cleaning them can also improve the performance of your heating system, which is another bonus.
  • Get More Houseplants. There is mounting evidence that having more houseplants will improve the indoor air quality of your home. In fact, NASA did a clean air study which suggested some types of plants will reduce the presence of VOC’s (volatile organic compound) in the air.
  • Invest in an Air-Heat Exchanger. Also known as an energy-recovery ventilator, this system can replace the stale air in your home with fresh air from outdoors. Also, they help remove excess humidity and do not use energy to cool or heat the air, so they are energy efficient.
  • Install an Air Purifier. Air purifiers will capture and kill even the smallest of pathogens like pollen, smoke, bacteria, dander, and other pollutants with a small electrical charge. The more advanced units will purify the air up to eight times each hour. Your local HVAC experts can help you decide which size is right for your home.