When winter arrives in Wilmington, NC, people tend to head indoors for longer periods of time. During this time of year, pay close attention to the quality of your indoor air. It’s rather common for homes to experience high levels of contaminants such as dust, dust mites, volatile organic compounds, mold spores, and pet dander. Those with allergies and asthma can experience flare-ups of their symptoms. Even those without these issues may experience fatigue, headaches, and trouble concentrating when poor indoor air quality is present. Let’s ponder whether indoor air quality is worse or better in the winter and what can be done to improve indoor air quality.

Winter Indoor Air Quality

Some people assume that indoor air quality is better in the winter because your home is closed off from outdoor pollutants. While this creates a tight home envelope that can keep outdoor pollution away from living spaces, there are plenty of indoor pollution sources to worry about. You often don’t achieve optimal ventilation in the winter.

Even though pollen levels outside may be low in the winter months, there are other things to worry about, such as mold spores outside that can make their way indoors. This is caused by the frequent freeze and thaw cycle that occurs in the winter months.

Indoor Air Contaminants

The type of contaminants that are present in your home will depend on several factors. For example, if you own pets, you probably have a high concentration of pet dander and fur in your home. If you allow people to smoke in your home, these carcinogens will be present. If you lack proper humidity control of your residence, this can lead to mold or mildew growth.

Volatile organic compounds are also something to concern yourself with. These VOCs are chemicals that are off gassed from things like chemical-based cleaning products, building materials, fresh paint, air fresheners, fragrances, and more. VOC exposure can be very toxic to the body, resulting in headaches, nausea, inflammation, fatigue, and vertigo. We can make greener choices that protect our health, but it’s often impossible to completely eliminate our exposure to VOCs.

Addressing Indoor Air Quality Concerns Using Testing

Indoor air quality testing is a great way to determine what kind of contaminants you’re dealing with. You can then use this data to determine the best way to improve your home’s indoor air quality. Periodically repeating this IAQ testing can help you determine if your efforts are making a difference. Also, you can find out if there are new contaminants that you need to be proactive about removing from your indoor air.

Whole-House Air Filtration

You are probably familiar with the portable air purifiers that plug into the wall and can be used in different rooms of your home. While the portability of these units is convenient, they don’t address a great deal of square footage at one time. Also, these portable models don’t remove a lot of particulate matter from your indoor air if they’re not equipped with advanced filtration.

You can address your indoor air quality using a whole-home air filtration or purification device. This unit will be installed onto your HVAC system and treat all the air that is passing through your home. Depending on the type of equipment you select, you can often remove as much as 99.97% of the particulate matter that is in your indoor air. Odors and volatile organic compounds can also be removed depending on the type of filtration you’re using.

Different Types of Filters

Consider the type of filter that you’re using in your furnace. This filter can remove some of the bigger particulates that are circulating through your residence. A fiberglass filter provides minimal filtration, though it’s an affordable option. A pleated filter provides more surface area, trapping more contaminants as air passes through. You can use activated carbon filtration to remove odors and VOCs from your indoor air. Traditional filtration doesn’t work for these contaminants. If you decide to change your furnace filter, work with an HVAC professional to confirm you choose something that is rated for your system. A filter with mesh that is too fine can strain some systems if the fan motor is not strong enough to efficiently pull air through.

If you have a whole-house purification system, you can usually use more advanced filtration in this equipment. They are designed to utilize finer meshed filters, which removes smaller particulates.

Electrostatic filtration is another efficient option for improving your indoor air quality. This filtration features electrically charged metal collection plates that attract particulates that are oppositely charged. You don’t have to throw away and replace a filter. Rather, you clean the collection plates periodically.

You can have a UV light added to your filtration setup on your HVAC system. By exposing pathogens to UV-C light, you destroy the cellular structure of these germs so they cannot make you sick. This is great in the winter months when cold and flu season is in full swing.

Just make sure that you’re keeping up with changing your filters on a regular basis. This should be done every 30 to 90 days, depending on the type of filter you’re using. In the winter months, when you’re using your HVAC system more frequently to stay warm, it may be necessary to perform more frequent filter changes. Check your filter often for signs of dust buildup, large clumps of debris or damage.

Controlling Indoor Humidity in the Winter

The relative humidity level in your home can contribute to your indoor air quality. We recommend that you maintain a level of humidity in the home that is between 35% and 50%. You can use a humidistat to monitor indoor humidity levels. If you are dealing with low levels of humidity, you can utilize a whole-house humidifier to add essential moisture back into your indoor air. You can use a whole-house dehumidifier to prevent high levels of humidity. If too much moisture is present in your indoor air, this can lead to mold and mildew growth, which is dangerous to your health.

Some homes require both a whole-home dehumidifier and a whole-home humidifier. Because weather changes frequently in our area, we may need to switch between the two methods of humidity control. Make sure that you schedule routine maintenance and inspections for your devices just as you do for your HVAC system each year.

If you would like assistance with improving the quality of your indoor air in the winter and throughout the rest of the year, Green Dot Heating & Air in Wilmington is here to assist. We can install whole-home air purification devices and humidity control equipment. We also install new heating and cooling units, perform routine maintenance, and provide emergency repair services. We also have a team of experienced electrical professionals on hand, performing repairs, new wiring installation, surge protection, lighting, EV charging, and more. Contact us to schedule an appointment.

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