Your Richmond, KY, home should be a safe place where you can relax and breathe in healthy air. While we cannot control outdoor exposure to things like pollution and pollen, we have options when it comes to our indoor air. Proper ventilation is one way that homeowners can improve their indoor air quality while protecting the health of themselves and their family members.
Indoor Air Quality and Our Health
There are several things we’re exposed to inside our homes. From outdoor pollution making its way inside to volatile organic compounds, inadequate indoor air quality can lead to headaches, fatigue, inflammation in the body, and so much more. Pollen, dust particles, pet dander, and mold spores can also affect our health. While we may not be able to remove all contaminants from the air we breathe indoors, there are dramatic changes that can be made so we feel our best each day.
Controlling Moisture
Most homeowners don’t give much thought to a small amount of condensation forming on windows, doors, or mirrors. However, it doesn’t take a lot of moisture to promote the growth of mold spores. Exposure to mold can cause whole-body reactions and long-term health problems. Not only is mold a concern, but dust mites thrive in humid areas. Ventilation is important because it helps to circulate and keep the air inside your home dry.
Ventilation and Allergen Exposure
The spring and summer months in Richmond can bring some very high levels of pollen. For people who suffer from seasonal allergies, symptoms like a runny nose, a cough, itchy eyes, and sneezing can become a nuisance. Rather than opening your windows for ventilation and letting pollen inside, you can utilize a whole-house, closed ventilation system to promote healthier indoor air. These systems can remove particulate matter from your air before it is circulated throughout your various rooms.
This is also an effective ventilation strategy for allergies to pet dander, cigarette smoke, and volatile organic compounds. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals that are released from building materials, new furniture, fresh paint, chemical-based cleaning products, and more.
Radon Gas Exposure
In areas of Richmond where radon is present, ventilation is essential for protecting your health. This colorless and odorless gas can make its way into your home through cracks and gaps in your foundation when it’s in your rocks and soil. Over time, you can experience respiratory symptoms and increase your risk of lung cancer if you’re exposed to radon.
What Are Different Ventilation Options?
Whole-home ventilation comes in a few different forms. Depending on the layout of your Richmond home and the contaminants that you’re dealing with, a professional can recommend an option. The first place to start is with an indoor air quality assessment. This process surveys your indoor air to see what kind of particulates you’re being exposed to on a regular basis. This can be something as simple as dust particles, or something more severe, like radon gas.
Whole-Home Ventilation Systems
Your HVAC technician can install a ventilation system that works with your other HVAC equipment, or independently, to circulate and freshen the air inside your home. This can include fans that ventilate the air outdoors. It’s a one-way system that simply draws inside air out through a vent that is installed on the exterior of your home.
Using a balanced ventilation system can bring air from the outside into your home, circulate it through your HVAC system, and then let it out through your various vents. The air is pushed through filtration before it is circulated, so you’re removing pollen, dust, and other contaminants from the air you breathe. A fan is also used to push old air outside.
You can utilize positive air pressure at different equipment installation points in your home with a supply-based ventilation system. This system pushes stale air outside, and fresh air is brought inside by way of an open-air source.
Don’t discount the benefits of natural ventilation as well. If the weather outside permits, you should strive to open a few windows and doors for at least 15 minutes each day. It’s beneficial to open windows and doors on opposite sides of the house to create a cross breeze that quickly ventilates and circulates the air. You can also use your ventilation equipment during this time period to enhance the overall air exchange.
If you are interested in having ventilation equipment installed in your Richmond home or would like to have an indoor air quality assessment performed, reach out to Affordable Service Solutions Heating & Air Conditioning for more information. Not only can we help you address your indoor air quality concerns, but we can also take care of any HVAC equipment installation that you may need, make emergency repairs, and address routine maintenance.
Contact Affordable Service Solutions Heating & Air Conditioning today to schedule an appointment for service in the Richmond area, ask us about our maintenance plans.
