Indoor Air Quality Need Improvement for Spring? These Upgrades Can Help
With the arrival of spring, many residents of Broken Arrow dread the simultaneous arrival of spring allergies. But you don’t have to remain a victim to outdoor allergens. These indoor air quality upgrades can help you make your home a safe haven where you can find refuge from allergy triggers.Use ventilation
A mechanical ventilation system boosts air circulation in the home. Through a vent that supplies fresh air, and a vent that exhausts old, stale air, a ventilation system employs fans to boost the rate of air exchange, driving pollutants out of the home. This type of system is especially useful in tight homes that have little natural ventilation to drive pollutants out.
Try dehumidification
If allergy symptoms are triggered by molds or bacteria, allergens that thrive in humid conditions, installing a dehumidification may help to control relative humidity, and prevent conditions in the home that encourage the replication of microorganisms. For humidity control in the entire home, consider a whole-house dehumidifier.
Use filtration
You can also use your air conditioner’s air filter to your advantage to improve indoor air quality. Choose a high-quality filter with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating in the 8 to 11 range. These filters trap a higher percentage of smaller particles, without negatively affecting airflow. Change the filter regularly over the season, at least once a month, or even more often.
Employ an air cleaner
Give indoor air quality a boost with an air cleaner that targets the specific allergens that trigger allergy symptoms. Choose from whole-house ultraviolet light systems, electronic air cleaners, air purifiers or high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) systems that target pollutants in the entire home. An air quality professional can help you identify the systems that best suit your needs, and conduct air-quality testing to determine which pollutants are present.
Air Assurance Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing has served homeowners in greater Broken Arrow for more than 30 years. If you’d like indoor air quality testing, or assistance selecting an air cleaner or ventilation system, get in touch with our indoor air quality experts, or visit our website.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock