Indoor air pollution is a growing health risk for Americans. One reason is that modern homes are very energy efficient and allow for little natural ventilation. Pollutants become more concentrated and problematic in these cases, and winter can exacerbate this, as people spend more time indoors with the cold air sealed out. Households tend to be more active inside in the winter and will often inadvertently introduce additional pollution. Let’s explore some strategies to maintain clean and healthy air in your home throughout the Dallas winter.
Schedule Fall Heating Maintenance
Heating systems can accumulate grime and other debris over time. During a fall tune-up, a technician will clean your equipment. They’ll also perform a multipoint inspection and correct normal wear and tear. With heat pumps and mini-splits, cleaning the evaporator coil is important, as there can be microbial growth. With a fuel-burning system, it’s important to clean the combustion equipment. It’s also crucial to check the exhaust system due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Schedule a Duct Inspection Too
Have your ducts professionally inspected at least every other year. Through a camera inspection, a technician can identify duct damage, excessive dust accumulation, and air leakage. A fall tune-up doesn’t include a duct inspection, but you can schedule those services at the same time.
If there is excessive dust accumulation, professional duct cleaning is the way to remove it. Our team will clean out your dryer vent during that service as well. Air leakage can undermine indoor air quality as well as energy efficiency.
Use a High-Quality HVAC Filter
The main purpose of an HVAC filter is to prevent dust and other debris from entering the system. It also has the ancillary effect of improving your air quality. In general, you’ll want to find a pleated filter with a high MERV rating. (MERV ratings indicate how effective a filter is at trapping particulates.) However, you don’t want to go too high, as most residential systems can’t handle filters with a higher rating than MERV 13. The lowest you’ll want to go usually is MERV 8, which can catch pet dander, hairspray, and other particulates as low as 3.0 microns in size. At MERV 13, a filter can trap at least 90% of the most common household allergens that enter the system; they’re a bit less effective at particles smaller than 1 micron (like bacteria or smoke), but they can still catch quite a bit of them.
Check Your HVAC Filter Often and Replace It as Needed
Check your HVAC filter at least once a month. You may need to check it more often if you have a large household and several pets. If you notice dust on the outer surface, that could mean the filter is saturated and it’s time to discard it and insert another. A whistling sound is also a telltale sign of a clogged filter. This means that not enough air can get through the filter. In that case, the air flows around the filter instead, which is what causes the sound.
Ensure Adequate Ventilation
Inadequate ventilation is a problem for many modern homes. Often, households rely on cyclical ventilation from the heating system and passive attic ventilation. This may not be enough, and opening windows and doors isn’t always an option in winter. One solution is a whole-house fan, which can draw fresh air into the home as needed. You may worry that a fan would undermine your heating, but there are solutions for that. A heat recovery ventilator extracts heat from exhausted air and transfers it to the fresh air it draws in. An energy recovery ventilator is similar but also does this with moisture as well to help avoid overly dry air.
Run a Whole-House Air Purification System
One of the best ways to combat air pollution is to remove or neutralize it through air purification. Portable units are more affordable initially but only provide filtered air in their immediate space. Whole-house air purifiers can be better long-term values and provide clean air throughout your entire home.
There are many different types of modern air cleaners. Most use prefilters to protect the other filter media and then include filtration in various ways. For primary mechanical filtration, many brands use high-efficiency filters with ratings of MERV 15 or more. As you get above MERV 16, you enter the range of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) and ultra-low particulate air (ULPA) filters. These trap over 99% of all particulate matter at 0.3 microns in size or higher. Many brands combine these filters with activated charcoal for absorbency. This manmade carbon can absorb foul odors, toxic gases, and chemicals.
Some important considerations, when choosing an air purifier, include air changes per hour (ACH) and clean air delivery rate (CADR). ACH indicates how many times a purifier filters all the air in a given area, such as square footage. The U.S. CDC recommends 4 ACH at a minimum. CADR indicates air purifier effectiveness. Indoor air quality experts recommend the “2/3 rule” for CADR. If your home is 1,500 square feet, you should choose a system with a CADR of 1,000 or higher.
Use a UV Lamp in Your Ducts
There’s often a higher abundance of bacteria and viruses in the home during winter. People also tend to be more prone to infection due to respiratory irritation. Because they use such powerful filtration, purifiers can often remove bacteria and viruses from your home’s air. However, you can enhance their efficacy with a UV filter. It’s a bit of a misnomer, as UV filters are usually UV lights that a tech installs alongside your filter. These lamps emit a light that kills:
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Mold spores
- Dust mite eggs
Use a Humidifier
Indoor air pollution isn’t the only concern with wintertime indoor air quality. The air is naturally drier during winter, and furnaces heat air quickly, which can dry it out further. Because heat pumps transfer heat instead, they have less of a problem with this. Either way, though, the drier winter air can lead to respiratory irritation and inflammation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends 30% relative humidity (RH) as a minimum. Many health experts agree that 40% RH is better for sleeping and respiratory health, with 60% being the highest your RH should go. Whole-house humidifiers can help you more accurately manage your home’s humidity levels.
Turn on Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are effective in the Dallas winters for several reasons. They can allow for a lower temperature setting because they help distribute heat more evenly. Ceiling fans also improve ventilation and avoid air stagnation, which reduces pollution concentration. It helps the most to make sure the fans are set to their lowest speeds. Also, make sure that they rotate clockwise to disperse heat that collects near the ceiling. Fans that rotate counterclockwise create a wind chill effect instead, which will make things feel cooler.
Local Indoor Air Quality Experts in Dallas
Home Comfort Inc. is an HVAC company that’s served Dallas, TX and the surrounding areas since 1954. Our NATE-certified technicians provide installation, maintenance, and repair services. We offer a membership that saves our customers money on maintenance, diagnostics, and repairs. Our technicians specialize in gas and electric furnaces, air conditioners, air-source heat pumps, hybrid heating, geothermal heat pumps, and ductless mini-splits. We install, inspect, repair, seal, and clean ductwork. Our indoor air quality team specializes in ventilation systems, air purifiers, UV lamps, and humidity control equipment. Call today or contact us online to learn more about these products and services or to schedule an appointment.
