Indoor air quality is extremely important, and winter is the time of year when you should pay close attention to your indoor air. During the winter, we spend a lot more time inside our home and we seal off our homes to keep the cold air out and to help save money on the energy bill. Royal Heating & Air encourages energy efficiency, but it’s important to understand the dangers that are associated with homes that are airtight and sealed up. The Environmental Protection Agency, has even deemed indoor air quality one of the top five environmental risks to public health. The best HVAC company at the Lake of the Ozarks has some tips on how you can ventilate your home for the winter.
Exhaust Ventilation – Exhaust fans expel the stale air and moisture that builds up in your home. While they tend to do a pretty good job of getting rid of the stale air, they don’t have any way of pulling fresh air in from the outside to replace the stale air. Exhaust only ventilation tends to create negative pressure inside of your home, which results in air coming in through cracks and gaps in the home. This can potentially pull in unwanted radon and other soil gases that we don’t want inside of our homes.
Supply Ventilation – A potential solution to negative pressure buildup from exhaust ventilation is to install a supply-only mechanical ventilation system. This will bring in fresh air, which allows your home to depressurize. Supply-only ventilation can be hooked up to your forced air system, which allows fresh air to get dispersed through your duct system. This can help to reduce the amount of radon and other contaminants from entering your home. One problem that may arise is the amount of humidity that may develop, especially in areas where you already have a moisture/condensation problem.
Balanced Ventilation – For most homes, especially if they are more energy-efficient, a balanced ventilation system that is specifically designed for the house is usually the best option. Balanced ventilation combines exhaust and supply ventilation into one system. With a balanced ventilation system, you can choose where the exhaust is drawn, where fresh air comes from and where it goes. For the most part, exhaust ventilation is installed where the most moisture and pollutants are generated. Those areas usually include bathrooms and kitchens. You can choose where the supply air comes in. If the fresh air is brought in through the duct system, it’s usually delivered to the most used areas of the home.
Indoor air quality is important all year long, but it’s extremely important during the wintertime. During those cold months, our house is sealed up and the furnace is constantly running. The air you are breathing in is being cycled over and over. Without introducing fresh air into your home, Royal Heating & Air knows that you are increasing the contaminants you breathe in and are increasing your chances of getting sick. If you have any questions about your indoor air quality, or your furnaces needs maintenance, give the best HVAC company at the Lake of the Ozarks a call.
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