How to Enhance Your Indoor Air Quality During the Winter

The coldest season of the year is here, and you’re probably spending lots of time inside your Marmora home. You can easily adjust the temperature and stay warmer inside!

But can you adjust your indoor air quality (IAQ)? The answer is yes.

When it comes to keeping you comfortable inside your home, there isn’t a better team to turn to in New Jersey than our Broadley’s Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning professionals. Leave all your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) needs to our experts—we can offer recommendations on the appropriate equipment and products for your home. Call us today!

Is Indoor Air Quality Worse During the Winter?

Winter poses a unique challenge when you’re trying to maintain healthy indoor air quality.

A well-insulated home with energy-efficient windows and doors will help prevent warm air from escaping your home. This tightly-sealed home might keep you warm and cozy, but it also means more of the same air is passing through your home—and less fresh air is coming into your home.

Inadequate ventilation leads to a greater concentration of pollutants and poor air quality. You could end up breathing in all types of indoor pollutants, including dust, dirt, dander, pollen, and even mold spores. Recirculated air is not fresh.

Taking some extra precautions to reduce indoor air pollutants and promote better indoor air quality during the winter will help keep you and your household members safe and healthy.

Tips for Improving Your Indoor Air Quality This Season

Here are several ways to fight back against poor indoor air quality:

• Clean your home: Cleanliness encourages better indoor air quality. Be sure to sweep, vacuum, dust, and mop to eliminate pollutants that make their way into and circulate throughout your home.
  
• Open the windows: Try to open your windows for at least a few minutes every day to bring in some fresh air and improve ventilation. You may even enjoy the breeze and breath of fresh air!
  
• Change your HVAC filter: You should clean or replace your HVAC filter every 30 to 90 days. Not only will this improve your indoor air quality, but it will also support optimal HVAC efficiency.
  
  Depending on the type of heating and cooling system you have, you may even want to consider upgrading to an air filter with a higher Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating. HVAC filters with higher MERV ratings can capture particles that are even between 0.3 and 10 microns, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
  
• Installing a whole-house dehumidifier and/or whole-house humidifier: A change in the outdoor temperature can throw off the levels of humidity in your home. Ideally, your home’s humidity levels should range between 30 to 50 percent.
  
  Keep humidity levels in your home within an ideal range by opting for a whole-house dehumidifier to reduce excess moisture in the air, and a whole-house humidifier to add more moisture when necessary.
  

Can Air Purification Systems Kill Germs?

The cold and flu are common this time of year, but you can reduce bacteria and viruses inside your home with an air purification system. A whole-home air purifier can decrease the amount of lingering particles in the air and destroy up to 99 percent of bacteria, mold, and viruses.

Adding an ultraviolet (UV) light can protect your health—and your HVAC system. Adding UV lighting has been shown to reduce the number of airborne contaminants inside homes and businesses. Some UV lights interact directly with your HVAC system to help clean the coils and kill particles that would otherwise pass through.

Turn to a Professional for All Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

When it’s time to take back control over your air quality, turn to Broadley’s Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning. Protect your family from breathing in poor indoor air quality in your Marmora, NJ, home. Get started with a plan to enhance your indoor comfort today by calling our HVAC experts at 609-390-3907 or request service online.