Breathe Easy in Your Home This Winter
Temperatures have started to drop, which means you are probably spending more time inside and keeping all your windows locked shut. With no outside air to flow through your home, you might be experiencing some interesting smells. Does the air in your home seem tale? Does it stink from the furnace being turned on? Are there other things that just...smell?
In the winter, air quality is very important since you spend most of your time indoors. Here are some things that you can do to keep your home smelling fresh and keep your family healthy this winter!
-
1) Change your Filters
-
You should change your HVAC filter twice a year, in the spring once the weather outside warms up and in the fall when the temperature outside starts to cool down. The filters naturally get dirty but dirty filters circulate dirty air throughout your home. This makes the HVAC system less efficient, causing your bills to rise due to the system working overtime, but also makes the home less comfortable as the air you are breathing in is not clean, fresh air.
-
2) Add a Humidifier Upstairs
-
Dry skin, nosebleeds, and sore throats are all common occurrences in the winter. The cold winter air is very dry, and it not only affects your skin, but it affects your home as well. Dry air increases dust, which means more cleaning and possibly sneezy family members. Some newer furnaces have humidifiers built in, but if you do not have one built-in, a humidifier in bedrooms can keep the dust at bay and the family more comfortable.
-
3) Add a Dehumidifier Downstairs
-
The one place in your home that you do want to keep dry is your basement or crawl space. Your home is naturally more humid underneath since it is below the ground. This humidity can lead to mold growth. Mold can travel through the HVAC system and up into your living spaces which can cause your family to have asthma or upper respiratory problems. A dehumidifier collects the moisture from the air to keep the space dry and filter the air of small particles like dust or mold.
Winter brings a lot of things like holiday parties, sunsets at 5 pm, and some nasty weather. These things also bring more time spent inside over the next couple of months so make sure you and your family are breathing easy and comfortable in your home this winter!
