Wildfire season can be a disaster for your home’s indoor air quality. Even a single large fire can spread harmful smoke over a massive area. It is essential to protect your respiratory health by keeping that smoke out of your house. Unfortunately, preventative techniques are rarely sufficient to eliminate all the pollution.
You may also need to use your HVAC system to purify the air. The best results come from combining several tools and techniques to maximize your defenses.
Understand the Risk of Smoke Inhalation
Airborne particles may damage your respiratory system. They can irritate your airways, which can lead to coughing and interfere with your breathing. Particulate matter can also provoke asthma attacks or contribute to chronic respiratory problems. In some cases, tiny particles can enter your bloodstream and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Healthy humans can tolerate some air pollution, but large doses and long-term exposure are highly dangerous.
Smoke is a mixture of gaseous chemicals and airborne particles. That means that smoke exposure can quickly cause severe respiratory symptoms. Seasonal wildfires can lead to routine smoke inhalation, which increases the risk of those issues. If you want to protect your health, you must find ways to reduce your exposure to smoke during wildfire season.
Use Your HVAC System
It is impossible to prevent all wildfire smoke from entering your home, but you can block some of it. You can start by closing your windows, but that will not be enough to protect your property. Most HVAC systems include a fresh air intake, which will pull smoke into your home. You can address that threat by closing the intake or setting your system to recirculate air. Some devices also have a damper, which can keep smoke out of your house. Every HVAC device is unique, and you should consult your system’s manual or an expert to find the best option.
Your HVAC equipment uses filters to capture airborne particles, but they have a limited lifespan. Old filters cannot protect you from smoke, so it is essential to replace them. You may need to do so more often during wildfire season because particles can quickly saturate them. If you keep an eye on your HVAC filters, they will protect you from many airborne particles.
Install an Air Purifier
While you can’t prevent all smoke from entering your home, you can use a purifier or a whole-home air scrubber to trap it. Portable systems can only clean the air in a small area, such as a single room. If you need more coverage, you should invest in a whole-house air purifier. You can rely on them to quickly remove most airborne particles from your house.
All air purifiers have a MERV rating, which measures their ability to capture small particles. A high MERV rating proves that an air purifier can eliminate most of the particulate matter in your home. HEPA filters are the most powerful option. They will catch at least 99.97% of particles that pass through the filter. In general, we advise our friends and neighbors to maximize their protection by using filters with high MERV ratings.
A professional HVAC technician can help you choose the right model for your home. We will help you select a system that is powerful, reliable, and compatible with your existing HVAC equipment. Our team will also install it, which will ensure that it operates at maximum efficiency. Improper installation may compromise your air purifier’s performance, so it is vital to hire experienced technicians.
Prioritize Regular Maintenance
Air purifiers and other HVAC systems require regular maintenance. It can be tempting to procrastinate or cut corners, but that will reduce their performance. Some faulty systems may even spread contaminants throughout your home. You can prevent those problems by having a technician maintain your system. That will boost its reliability and prepare it for heavy smoke.
Prepare Your Home for Wildfire Season
We cannot prevent wildfires, but we can help you protect yourself from smoke. At Unique Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., we proudly provide indoor air quality and HVAC services throughout the Northglenn area. Our team installs air purifiers, cleans air ducts, and maintains HVAC equipment. We understand that your health and comfort depend on our products, which is why we never cut corners.
Our experienced technicians will carefully complete your project and reduce your exposure to harmful pollutants. Contact Unique Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. today for indoor air quality solutions to protect you family from Colorado’s wildfire season.
