The air you breathe inside your home has a very real effect on how you feel and your overall health. Good IAQ can have a positive effect on you. Likewise, bad IAQ can have a negative effect. The holidays are a time when there’s great potential for air quality issues. Everyone is indoors for long periods, you’ve sealed your home tight to keep it warm, there are more people than usual, and your heating system is running often.
Dry Winter Air and the Heating Effect
One of the issues in winter is that the air is naturally drier. This is because cold air holds less water vapor than hot air. It’s the reason we often measure it as relative humidity (RH). RH indicates the percentage of water vapor relative to the current temperature. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises homeowners to maintain an RH of 30% or up in winter.
This can be hard to do without a humidifier. One reason is that the air is naturally drier. The other is that your HVAC system is heating the incoming low-RH air. Once heated, it can absorb a lot of moisture, and it does that quickly from your environment. A whole-house humidifier helps to avoid that problem by adding moisture before the air reenters your home.
Respiratory Inflammation
Low RH is bad because it dries out your respiratory system. That includes your nose, mouth, throat, and lungs. The dryness makes you more prone to irritation. That irritation causes inflammation, which is your body’s immune response. In the short term, this can sap your energy, cause headaches and body aches, and make you more susceptible to viruses.
Indoor Air Pollution
The other issue is indoor air pollution. Many people think of air pollution as an outdoor and summertime problem. This isn’t the case. Air pollution is typically higher during the colder months. Furthermore, indoor air pollution is often worse than ambient pollution due to higher concentration levels. It can make the home smell unpleasant. It can also have a wide range of negative health effects, including:
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Cognitive deficits
- Shortness of breath
Air Purification & Ventilation
One option is to improve your home’s ventilation system. Doing so will reduce how much the pollutants are concentrated. To remove the pollutants, we recommend a whole-house air purifier, which we’d install in your ducts. Many systems have a high-efficiency particulate filter (HEPA). HEPA filters trap at least 99.97% of particles. There’s often activated carbon to absorb gases and chemicals. You can also opt for a UV lamp to deal with bacteria and viruses.
If you need indoor air quality services this holiday season in Newnan, GA, call E Dennis AC Inc., or contact us online.
