The quality of your Northglenn, CO, home’s indoor air quality can have a direct effect on your health and well-being. Exposure to things like pet dander, dust, dust mites, pollen, mold spores, and volatile organic compounds can lead to symptoms such as a scratchy or sore throat, coughing, irritated eyes, and sneezing. Your HVAC system plays an important role in filtering the air that’s circulating through your home, but ventilation is also an important component to consider.
What Is Ventilation and How Does It Reduce Pollutants?
Ventilation in a home refers to the exchange of air between the inside and outside. Moving contaminated air from inside and expelling it outside allows for fresh air to enter. This reduces the number of contaminants and allergens that a person is exposed to while they are at home. When air is stagnant, this reduces indoor air quality (IAQ). Concentrations of oxygen and CO2 can become unhealthy. There may even be an issue with radon exposure or carbon monoxide, which can pose a deadly situation.
How to Promote Ventilation in the Home
There are several ways to improve ventilation in the home. Some methods are already in place, they may just not be used regularly. If ventilation is a major concern based on your current quality of indoor air, there are different types of equipment that an HVAC professional can install to remedy the issue.
Exhaust Fans
Most homes are already equipped with exhaust fans in areas like the bathroom and kitchen. It’s recommended that you use these fans to remove high levels of moisture from the air when you’re bathing, and smoke and particulates while cooking. These fans are also a great way to reduce odors in the home. Even if you currently have exhaust fans in place that you use regularly, you may want to consider upgrading your current model to something more powerful. The most basic exhaust fans are rated at 50 CFM. Some models are rated at 150 CFM, which more effectively exhausts air to the outdoors.
Opening Windows and Doors Periodically
There may be conditions outside that keep you from opening your windows and doors all day, but ventilating using this simple method should be done for at least 10 to 15 minutes per day. When you open up, run your exhaust fans as well to help increase air circulation and ventilation.
Using Ceiling Fans for Ventilation
While ceiling fans won’t expel air from the inside to the outside, they can help push air downwards so that it can be better exhausted using other methods of ventilation. Just make sure that your fan blades are circulating in a counterclockwise motion to push air downwards rather than upwards.
Supply Ventilation Systems
While this method of ventilation requires a bit more equipment and investment, a supply ventilation system pressurizes the home and uses fans to move indoor air to the outdoors. This is a relatively simple system that doesn’t cost a lot to install, but it has a very positive effect on your indoor air quality. One downside to this system is that it can increase humidity in the home, which may be an issue during certain times of the year in Northglenn. If you have a whole-house dehumidifier, this equipment will address any moisture concerns.
Balanced Ventilation Systems
With a balanced ventilation system, fresh air from outside is brought into the home while polluted indoor air is expelled at the same exchange rate. A system of ducts is used for ventilation, and you can determine which rooms see the most ventilation based on indoor air quality pollution concerns. A supply and return duct would ideally be installed in each room of the home to maintain optimal indoor air quality throughout your entire home.
If you need improved ventilation for your Northglenn home, reach out to the team at Unique Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.. We can perform an indoor air quality assessment to determine your main contaminants. From there, we will make customized recommendations that can help improve your IAQ. We also install, repair, and routinely maintain heating and cooling equipment. We service both residential and commercial equipment. Reach out to Unique Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. to schedule an appointment today.
