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Summertime is the perfect season for outdoor activities, from swimming at a local lake or playing beach volleyball to inviting all of your closest friends for a delicious barbecue. Because you and your family will be constantly running in and out of your home this summer, they will undoubtedly track in a great deal of dirt, dust, pollen, mold, and other airborne toxins from the outdoors. Your home’s indoor air already carries up to ten times more pollutants than the outside air, so bringing in all these allergens further degrades the air quality. Not only does this impact your comfort, but it can also seriously harm the health of your loved ones.
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Follow the tips below to improve your indoor air quality this summer:
- Inspect your air filter every month. Because it works so hard to keep your home at your desired temperature, your HVAC system accumulates more debris during the summer than any other time of the year. The more debris and dust that build up on the filter, the less efficient your system will be at removing contaminants in the air. Inspect the air filter every month to determine how dirty it is and whether it’s time for a cleaning or replacement. If your family members have allergies or asthma, you can also switch to a filter with a higher MERV rating, which allows it to collect particles of smaller size. In residential settings, look for a MERV rating of 7 to 13.
- Install a whole-house humidifier. Compared to a stand-alone humidifier that can only impact the air quality in the room in which it is placed, a whole-house humidifier is a high-capacity unit that connects with your HVAC system to control the moisture levels in the air as it moves through your system. Running this unit in combination with your HVAC can keep your home cooler and more comfortable while using less energy.
- Keep your floors clean. Every time your kids come inside, they are bringing a variety of toxins and allergens into your home as well. These materials rapidly accumulate on your floor, so it is vital to keep your floors as clean as possible throughout the season. Implement a “no shoes in the house” rule to contain outdoor contaminants to your entryway and remember to wipe off your pets’ paws before letting them inside. Vacuum weekly and mop high-traffic areas at least once every two weeks.
Keep Your Family Happy and Healthy This Summer
If you have followed the tips above yet are still noticing poor air quality in your home, it may be time to replace your air filter or upgrade your system with a new model. Contact D. Rohde Heating, Plumbing & Air today to learn how we can help you. Our team of expert AC technicians can perform an inspection of your system, diagnose any issues that impact its functioning, and complete repairs to resolve these issues.
