Breathe Easier This Year With These Air Improvement Tips
Just because it’s winter time doesn’t mean that allergies are taking a vacation. Sometimes, allergies to dust and even pollen can be worse in the winter months because we are exposed to less fresh air. Your home air quality typically takes a dip in the winter months for a few reasons, which include spending more time indoors, less outside air circulation because people don’t typically open windows during the winter months, and higher concentrations of pet dander and dust. All of these factors can make your air quality worse and even can lead to more wear and tear on your HVAC appliances. Here are some time and money saving tips you can deploy that will help you breathe easier during the holiday months.
Clean And Replace Filters
Whether it’s your furnace filters or even the grates and filters around your intake vents around the home, you should clean or replace them at the beginning of the cold season. Take a duster or a lightly damp rag and go to all of your intake and floor level air vents around the house. Give them a good wipe down and even use a flashlight to inspect the area just below the metal grates. If it is full of debris and dust, you might want to grab your vacuum and give it a quick clean. Replace your furnace filters regularly, but if you are an allergy sufferer or you have one in your household you may want to replace them monthly and look into buying more robust filters that have been proven to reduce the amount of airborne irritants.
Let Your House Breathe
It is a common misconception that you must close your floor vents in less commonly used rooms in your home during the winter in order to “save on heating bills.” This can actually cost you more in heating bills because many HVAC systems are designed to have a certain amount of back pressure and circulation year round and if you cut off a few rooms from the circulation route it can add harmful back pressure which can lead to greater wear and tear on your system. Your house’s heating system is designed to “breathe” in a way and if you close off a few rooms it’s like trying to breathe through your nostrils while you have a cold. Sure, it can be done, but it is a lot more taxing than just breathing through your mouth.
Patch Up All Leaks
During the summer, it can be difficult to tell if your home has a problem with its seal from the outside, but during the winter, it’s a much different story. The next time your furnace kicks in, do a quick sweep of your entire house along the walls that face the outside. Stick your hands close to windows and under doors and even at the tops of doors all along the seal. Do you feel cold air? Can you hear a slight whistle as cold air is being sucked inside as your furnace pumps air around the house? This could be costing you money. Make sure that your windows are securely closed and aren’t leaking air from the outside. Your doors can be a huge culprit as well. You may have to change out the weatherstipping seal each year and it wouldn’t hurt to invest in a little door “blocker” that keeps cold air from seeping in at the bottom of a rarely used door.
If you do these things you can save some money on your monthly heating bill and save your HVAC unit from unneeded wear and tear. Have a great holiday season! If you need any HVAC items like soffit vents, wall vents, or chimney caps, we can help. Just visit our store and order online today.
