Holiday season has arrived. Your home is spotless. Air fresheners are available. Your furnace filter was just changed. Soon, visitors will arrive.
On warm days, you frequently open the windows. Nevertheless, it’s chilly today, and despite reading about worries about indoor air quality (IAQ), you’re sure that this won’t be a problem in your house. But you might be mistaken.
What Makes Indoor Air Quality Better?
Even though research indicates that we spend more than 90% of our time indoors, adequate ventilation is essential. Poor indoor air quality can have serious negative health impacts for you and your family, whilst overventilation can lead to higher energy consumption and costs than are essential.
The quality of the air you breathe indoors is more significant than you may know, even though it always feels more comfy to not worry about it. Additionally, studies have shown that the buildup of CO2 indoors can cause sickness, weariness, headaches, dizziness, and even airborne diseases if the issue is not addressed.
In addition to having a favorable impact on one’s health, monitoring air quality at home also has a noticeable positive impact on energy usage.
Five Ideas to Make Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality Better
- Replace the AC filter
According to experts, you should replace the air filters in your heat pump, furnace, and central air conditioner once a month while they are in operation. The air filter’s function is to keep the air free of impurities, but it also prevents dust and other debris from entering your ductwork, HVAC system, or ventilation system.
Mold spores in the air can grow and spread in dirty air ducts. Regular filter changes are significantly more economical than paying for additional duct cleaning.
It’s simple to change air filters as well. It’s hard to remember to do it, though.
The following piece of advice is to buy multiple air filters at once and stack them next to your furnace or HVAC unit. Next, add a reminder to your smartphone calendar to remind you to change or clean your filters on the first of each month. You don’t possess a smartphone. To keep track of the last time you updated the filter, write the date on the filter’s edge.
The question of which air filter I should use is another frequent one. The experts believe that the MERV, or minimal efficiency reporting value, should be as high as possible. The indoor air quality in your home will be improved by using an air filter that is effective in reducing airborne particles and pollutants, as shown by the MERV ratings.
- Regulate the Humidity in Your Residence
The relative humidity in your home should be high enough to stop nosebleeds and coughing, but low enough to prevent moisture issues like mold growth.
The difference in temperature between summer and winter must be taken into account when calculating indoor relative humidity levels. Winter humidity levels in colder climates should be between 30 and 40% to avoid condensation on windows and other surfaces. Up to 50% more humidity is possible throughout the summer.
If your home’s furnace is not already equipped with a humidifier or dehumidifier, you should buy one to use in the winter and one to use in the summer.
Using a hygrometer to test the humidity in your house is the easiest method. These are either cheap to buy separately or come with most IAQ monitors. The key is to use them outside of the kitchen or bathroom, which may have higher humidity levels than other parts of the house.
- Be Mindful of What You Bring Inside
Many issues with indoor air quality can be resolved with a little common sense.
Consider installing fresh flooring or paint. Wait until it’s warm enough outside to open the windows and let the volatile organic gases (VOGs), including formaldehyde, that they produce out.
When will you change your bedding? Consider latex foam pillows and mattresses rather than those made of cotton or other natural fibers, and cover them with dust mite-proof covers.
Do you need a new vacuum? Instead of a paper bag, get one with a HEPA air filter.
- Purchase indoor plants to enhance air quality
Investing in indoor plants is one of the simplest methods to enhance the quality of the air inside a home. This is because adding plants like chrysanthemums or peace lilies can get rid of common contaminants as well as ammonia! Indoor plants have also been recognized to filter the air the best!
Smaller indoor plants, such as ferns and lilies, which can quickly remove dangerous pollutants from the air, can help improve the quality of your air.
- Employ a monitor for indoor air quality
An “early warning system” for poor indoor air quality can be utilized with an interior air quality meter that analyzes CO2 levels.
watch the IAQ
A CO2 monitor, such as the GZAIR Home Indoor Air Quality Monitor, can be put in a home’s center, on a school desk, a student’s nightstand, or in an office. The ability to view your air quality in real-time is what makes it so beneficial.
Amounts of CO2 too high? This indicates that your HVAC system is malfunctioning and that there are airborne chemicals, contaminants, and germs in your home that can spread colds or aggravate allergies.
Simply put, tell your HVAC professional to “bring in more fresh air” for your system.
A lack of CO2 results in an excess of fresh air and a waste of heating and cooling resources. An indoor air quality monitor is a quick and easy approach to ensure that you’re breathing in the best air possible.
The CO2 levels to be aware of are as follows:
Normal outdoor air pressure is 400 ppm.
A typical value level indoors with appropriate ventilation is between 400 and 1,100 ppm. Check for over-ventilation if CO2 levels are low when the building is occupied and sealed (too much fresh air wastes energy).
The OSHA/ASHRAE recommended upper limit in a closed room is 1,100 ppm.
Poor air quality > 1,200 ppm necessitates ventilation of the space.
2,000 ppm – Numerous studies have found that this amount of CO2 causes a considerable increase in fatigue, headaches, drowsiness, and poor focus, as well as an increased risk of respiratory infections like colds and other contagious illnesses.
The first step to enhancing a person’s general health and performance in any house, workplace, or school setting is to comprehend the significance of carbon dioxide levels and poor indoor air quality.
Monitoring Indoor Air Quality
You should be aware that no matter what type of air quality instrument you use—desktop, wall-mount, or handheld—you should never set it close to an open window or air conditioner vent because these features might directly affect the air quality.
The height of wall-mounted CO2 IAQ devices should be 48 inches from the floor, or at the same height as a thermostat.
Similar to your thermostat, the CO2 sensor shouldn’t be installed or placed next to exterior doors or windows since this can give the impression that the room is more airy than it actually is.
People breathing on the instrument will have a negative impact on the reading, thus this is another important consideration when choosing a position for your CO2 monitor. That is something you should keep in mind and mount the gadget away from where people like to congregate.
Contact us right away if you would like more information on indoor air quality solutions for your home, workplace, or classroom.
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