Indoor air pollution is a major health risk, but you have the tools to deal with it. Ventilation is one of the best ways to improve air quality, especially in the spring. We often close our homes to keep them warm in the winter months, which ruins our ventilation. Spring’s warmer weather eliminates that issue and makes ventilation significantly easier. That is good news for your health because proper springtime ventilation can correct so many air quality problems.
1. Spend Less Time Cleaning
Good ventilation will purge dust and other debris from your home. If you do not ventilate your home, dust and debris will accumulate on your flooring and furniture. You can clean it up with a broom or vacuum cleaner, but that takes more time than simply ventilating your home. It is much more efficient to prevent messes than to clean them.
2. Counteract Radon
Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas. The soil naturally releases radon into the air over time. Once it enters your home, it will get trapped unless your ventilation system purges it. This is a problem because radon is dangerous. Radon exposure increases your risk of developing lung cancer.
It is impossible to eliminate all radon in the atmosphere, but reducing the concentration in your home is helpful. You can do that by installing fans or other ventilation systems that increase airflow in your home. Anything that pushes air out of the building will stop radon from accumulating beyond the average atmospheric level.
3. Avoid VOC Exposure
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are another major health risk in modern homes. They are invisible gases that come from many modern chemical products. If you use hairspray, paint, or chemical cleaning products, you are exposing yourself to them. Many objects release VOCs over time, so most homes are full of them. They can irritate your nose, throat, and eyes. VOCs also cause headaches and a variety of other symptoms. If you often feel a little sick without a clear cause, VOC exposure may be the problem.
It is essentially impossible to eliminate all VOC exposure because VOCs come from so many modern products. Your only practical option is to keep them from building up in your home. There are relatively few VOCs outside, so you can reduce the amount of VOCs indoors by bringing outdoor air into your home. Most people will be fine if they keep their home’s ventilation system in good shape. If you are cleaning or using other items that produce VOCs, you may want to improve your ventilation. Be sure to keep that in mind if you do any spring cleaning.
4. Manage Allergies
Many of us suffer from allergies. In some cases, such as pollen, the allergens accumulate over time, just like radon and VOCs. Ventilation purges those particles, but it can also help with other common allergens.
Moisture encourages mold to grow in your home. Water vapor enters the air from showers, cooking, and some appliances. It eventually condenses and accumulates in some parts of your home. If you do not clean those areas regularly, mold will grow, and you will suffer from allergies. Proper ventilation will push the water vapor outside before it can condense, which fixes the problem. This is why it is so important to run exhaust fans during showers. You should also consider running them if you are using a lot of hot water for any other task.
5. Reduce Viral Exposure
You risk exposure to a respiratory virus whenever you breathe the same air as an infected person. Viruses disperse quickly, unless they are contained, so this is not a huge problem outside. On the other hand, the air’s viral load can increase quickly inside because the virus has nowhere to go. Good ventilation forces the virus outside, where it quickly disperses. It is a great tool for reducing your risk of exposure if you expect to be near sick people.
6. Eliminate Bad Smells
The benefits of proper ventilation go beyond maintaining your health. It can also make your home more pleasant. Bad smells are a fact of life. Proper ventilation will disperse foul odors quickly. That saves you from choosing between dealing with the smell or covering it up with perfume.
We Can Help
Proper ventilation is one of the keys to having a happy, healthy home. If you need help ventilating your home, we can lend a hand. At WK Mechanical, Inc., we have been serving Orange County, NY since 1945. We have spent decades taking care of the Hudson Valley’s HVAC systems and keeping people safe from bad air. You can rely on us to help even if you are not sure what you need. Our comfort consultation includes a complete examination of your home. We will identify your home’s problem areas and help you fix them. If you are ready to get started, reach out to WK Mechanical, Inc. for your comfort consultation.
