There are three areas where we can help improve the air quality in your home:ventilate with fresh air from outside, purify the air in the home, and/or control humidity levels.
Bring in Some Fresh Air
Homes are being built tighter and as a result do not breath as they used to, so fresh air stays out and stale air stays in. This is good for energy efficiency but not air quality. Current building code calls for fresh air to be introduced into new homes. Existing homes have a few options to bring in fresh air, the simplest being to crack a window.
The next option is to install a duct from the outdoors to connect to the heating and cooling system. Ducting in the fresh air has the advantage of introducing it to the entire home and conditioning it as well. This can be made more energy efficient by including an automatic damper that shuts down the incoming air if the temperature is extremely hot or cold outside.
Another more efficient option is a fresh air ventilator that exchanges indoor air for outdoor air. It uses a heat exchanger that conditions the incoming air with the stale air it is exhausting. This is a product that can be used with homes that do not have a duct system as well.
Clean the Air
Whole house air cleaners have come a long way. New 5" thick paper filters are more efficient than the old electronic air cleaners and they are simple to use. Filter efficiency is measured by a MERV rating, the higher the number the more it captures. A MERV 11 filter will capture particles like pollen down to 3 microns in size. One micron = 1/25,000 of an inch. A MERV 16 filter is hospital-grade and captures particles down to 0.3 microns in size (note where the decimal place is). HEPA filters are MERV 16 filters that can capture even more of the particles. The Lennox PureAir and UV lights can reduce germs, bacteria, viruses, odors and chemical vapors.
Modern furnaces provide a slow speed fan for air circulation purposes, allowing you to quietly and continually clean the air and provide more even temperatures in the home.
Humidity
Air Conditioning systems will remove humidity from the air in the summer. In the winter many homes in our area are too dry and could use humidity added. Adding humidity can help with your health, comfort and all the wood in your home. In fact, you will feel warmer at the same temperature by simply raising the humidity. I will talk more about humidifiers before fall.
In the spring some homes here can have high humidity issues so they need humidity removed, either from the home or the crawlspace. This can be done with ventilation and dehumidifiers.
If you would like to visit about any of these topics further just give us a call.
Happy Spring,
Bob Gates
Josh Anderson