As a homeowner, there’s a mental checklist for all the things you’re supposed to do at some point. Change the furnace filter. Maybe clean the gutters. Maybe check your smoke detectors bi-annually? Yet it comes to air quality, there are certain maintenance tasks that help and there are some that are just “fluff”, things we do because someone told us to.
Air within your home is constantly circulating. Each time your heat or air conditioning kicks on, air from the surrounding spaces gets pulled in, conditioned and pushed right back out. Any dust, mold spores, dander, etc. becomes a part of the continuous circulation. Thus, when someone makes it a priority to engage in helpful maintenance tasks, it can truly change the air you breathe and how your home feels.
The Importance of Air Filters
The truth about air filters is they’re inexpensive, easy to replace and many people still don’t do it often enough. Every three months is what’s recommended per manufacturer’s guidelines, yet that’s still a give or take. If you have pets, you should probably do it every month. If you live in a dusty environment or have allergies, same thing.
A clogged filter does two things: Reduces air quality AND makes your heating/cooling system work harder. The harder it works, the more energy bills and wear and tear there is. The filter is literally fighting for you with each particle that gets in but when it’s dirty and clogged by everything else, it can’t do its job. To make matters worse, all that pollen, hair and mold that used to be in one place now gets sucked back into the system and distributed throughout the house.
Moreover, the grade of filter matters. An inexpensive fiberglass one might catch bigger particles but it’s not doing anything for the particles that impact air quality. Thus, a PLEATED filter with a MERV rating of 8-13 offers better filtration without reducing air flow too much. However, be sure your system can handle the more dense filter (older units may not be equipped).
Your Ducts (Clean Them!)
Air ducts are one area most people won’t consider when they think about their home’s air quality. Out of sight, out of mind but those ducts are literally the arteries of your home. They transport everything from your living room to your kitchen and what’s in them? Dust from new construction; pet hair; dead skin flakes; pollen that settles inside. Whatever it is accumulates over time, and with moisture, it becomes a breeding ground for mold.
Therefore, each time your system kicks on, it’s pulling in particles from the duct work straight into your living room and distributing it everywhere else in your house.
Working with a certified air duct cleaning company can remove years of accumulated debris that regular filter changes just can’t touch. Professional cleaning involves more than just vacuuming, it includes brushing the interior surfaces, sanitizing when necessary, and checking for damage or leaks that could be letting unfiltered air into the system. For homes with pets, smokers, recent construction work, or family members with respiratory issues, this kind of deep cleaning can make a noticeable difference in how the air feels and smells.
Especially for homes with pets/smokers/renovated spaces/respiratory compromised individuals, this makes a difference in how the air feels and smells.
How Often: Every three to five years for most homes, but otherwise as needed based upon how quickly dust accumulates or if mildew/musty smells transpire when the system is on.
Humidity Control That Actually Works
Humid air does wonders and awful for air quality. High humidity precipitates mold growth and dust mites; low humidity increases dry skin and sinus issues that lead to respiratory infections.
Too much humidity often creates an environment conducive to mold, mildew and dust mites while too little humidity leads to dry skin and sinuses along with respiratory infections due to dehydration of sensitive tissues.
30% to 50% relative humidity is a happy medium for indoor air quality and quality hygrometers cost about twenty bucks. If someone’s average readings are above 50%, then dehumidification systems or exhaust fans in bathrooms/laundry rooms need to help alleviate the excess moisture from the air turning into particles.
If it’s below 30%, a humidifier can help during those dry winter months.
When you think about bathrooms and kitchens, exhaust fans are there for a reason, to help eliminate excess moisture before it settles throughout your home. Hence, consistently running a bathroom fan during a shower, and an additional 15 minutes, is essential as well as any stovetop cooking that creates steam.
The Ventilation Factor
As modern homes have become tighter over the decades, increasingly energy efficient homes breathe less. While this helps expand heating/cooling budget stretches, it’s not ideal as it limits fresh air intake.
Fresh outdoor air is often required, even if it’s from a mechanical ventilation unit that includes energy recovery ventilator technology (which newer HVAC units may have). If not possible, and particularly for older homes, cracking a window at least once a day for a few minutes exposes fresh air and expels stale air, making a difference.
Moreover, pay attention to smaller spaces (closets, laundry rooms, basements) or areas without much foot traffic, they’re likely stuffier than usual since no good air circulation exists and pockets develop where musty smells can come from.
Regular HVAC Maintenance
Heating maintenance occurs annually whether or not our systems have problems, this maintenance works regardless at its basic level to ensure everything is running as it should without broken parts.
Yet when technicians assess parts/components of an HVAC system (apart from filters), they also clean them, which makes a difference in regard to air quality. Dirty coils can produce airflow that contains mildew in one room or respiratory infection-causing bacteria elsewhere.
Condensate drain line is another neglected part of an HVAC system. If this line gets clogged with snow, mud, debris, or water, mildew accumulates, and spores are transported through ducts.
Annual maintenance keeps an eye out for early developments before they become serious issues, someone might not realize their leak isn’t an air quality issue, but it could put both system efficiency and airflow quality into jeopardy.
Cleaning That Makes a Difference
Regular cleaning helps air quality but certain things matter more than others, HEPA vacuuming removes parts better than regular vacuums that just put everything back into the atmosphere; washing sheets in hot water weekly reduces dust mites and clutter results in fewer places for dust to settle.
Dusting clears pipes of dirty debris (overlooked) accumulated by HVAC systems getting blown throughout space, and paying attention to pets, grooming/cat litter boxes/bathing etc. all clears away dander hair/particles that make their way back into systems.
Dealing With Air Quality Tasks You Can Control
Ultimately, if you focus on everything that processes or helps move air (filters, ducts) or impact filtration/ventilation/humidity levels through HVAC systems or strict household limits or additions to improve situations, you can use maintenance to your advantage. You could grow every beautiful indoor plant or light every scented candle in each room but nothing will make a difference until you stay on top of components within your control.
You’ll get optimal air quality without having optimal perfection; you’ll reduce potential problems by avoiding them from becoming compounded if someone breathes them in early enough; it’s good for your lungs.
