7 Ways to Ventilate Your Home for Better Indoor Air
Ventilation is basically replacing bad air with good air. It's common for houses to develop poor air due to things like pollen, dust and other pollutants that are blown in from the outdoors. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde and other unhealthy substances frequently produced by furnishings and household cleaners today can pollute the air as well as carbon monoxide, mold-causing moisture, nitrogen dioxide and other things your daily activities like bathing, cooking and even breathing can generate on a day-to-day basis.
All year round many homes are sealed up tight thanks to widespread use of cooling and heating systems. Unfortunately, homes locked up tight like this can easily trap and contain those things mentioned above and other pollutants that negatively impact your home's air quality.
Below are seven ways to ventilate your home and replace poor air with better, fresh indoor air.
- Open Windows and Doors
While it might seem like an obvious solution, there are still many individuals who aren't opening their windows and doors regularly to allow fresh air in and to push stale air out. Just opening windows and doors several times a day to air your home out and replace stale indoor air quickly with fresh outdoor air will help eliminate things like:
- Allergens
- Pollutants
- Excess moisture
- Air Exchangers
Air exchangers exchange the stale indoor air with the fresh outside air and eliminates the problem of negative pressure. They often run non-stop unlike exhaust fans that you switch on to operate. This allows you to consistently get a healthy dose of fresh air into your house regardless of what might be going on indoors. You should continue taking precautions, of course, when you engage in activities that cause a lot of air pollution.
- Home Ventilation System
A well-made and well-installed home ventilation system offers ideal ventilation no matter what the weather is like outdoors and is the perfect alternative to leaving your home's windows and doors open. If you don't already have a home ventilation system, you might want to consider one to help replace your home's stale indoor air with healthier, dry, fresh air.
- Use Exhaust Fans
These draw air from a certain location, venting it outdoors. You should have an exhaust fan in both your kitchen and bathrooms. Turn them on for about 45 minutes after cooking or showering.
- Dry Your Laundry Outdoors
Most people dry their laundry indoors in a dryer. But, when you dry your wet clothing in your home with a dryer, it creates condensation and keeps your heating system from efficiently working. It can also accelerate mold growth and condensation in the winter.
Drying your clothing outdoors in a covered area, like under a canopy or patio cover, can help solve this issue. This will allow you to dry your clothes and keep them out of the elements.
- Use a Whole House Fan
Whole house fans work with open windows to offer an effective home ventilation solution. Opening the windows all the fresh outdoor air into your home. The fan will draw in this fresh air and exhaust stale air, creating a rush of air throughout your house. This is ideal for cooling and ventilating.
- Use an Attic Fan
Attic fans help cool your attic down by pushing the extremely hot air outdoors and bringing the outside cool air indoors. This helps keep the hot air from getting into your home and driving the temperature up in your living area.
Here at WholeHouseFan.com, we offer a multitude of ventilation products for your home. Take a look at our product line, and give us a call should you have any questions. Call us direct at 1-661-775-5979 M-F 7 am – 5 pm PST