During more temperate times of the year, the windows are opened, and clean air is allowed to circulate in and out of the house. During the winter, everyone stays indoors and turns on a heater that runs off and on all day. Improving a home’s air quality and humidity level are common goals when preparing for the cold season.
Indoor Air Quality Level
During winter, your indoor air quality decreases due to the lack of moisture and the continuous use of heating equipment. People tend to remain indoors and turn up their heaters and electronics while using little to no ventilation. The air becomes saturated with various toxins that are produced indoors and brought in from outside.
Humidity Level
Humidity measures the amount of water vapor in the air, whether indoors or outdoors. Because cold air holds less moisture than warmer air, the level of humidity in winter decreases as the temperature does the same. Indoors, your heater increases the amount of drying in the air and decreases the humidity level.
When the Home Becomes too Dangerous
As part of an annual maintenance plan, work on improving your indoor air quality level during the winter. You and your family use old appliances nearly every day. With an old heater, you do not know which types of toxic particles are being released and circulated through the air. There are many pollutants that you cannot detect easily, such as carbon monoxide, mold spores, and radon.
Replacing the heater’s air filter is recommended every few months. However, the filter does not remove all forms of pollutants. In many homes, checking the indoor air quality is the only way to know how badly the air is polluted. If the indoor air is very poor, an HVAC expert is often called in to diagnose the problem.
Preparing for the Season
Many households in Dayton are planning to use their central heating units throughout the winter. To improve the home’s indoor quality, our professionals at Butler Heating & Air Conditioning install, repair, and maintain HVAC systems. In addition to heaters, we perform repairs, installations, and maintenance on boilers, air conditioners, and plumbing systems. We check indoor air quality levels based on a home’s ventilation and filtration devices. We are also trained to apply preventative maintenance to your HVAC systems. Call us today to discuss our wintertime services.