Diving a little deeper into ventilation; the “V” in HVAC.
What Do You Mean When Mean When We Say Ventilation?
Ventilation means replacing old air in a home with new air from outside to improve the indoor air quality. Out with the dust, smoke, odours, moisture and even bacteria. In with the new fresh air.
Why Is Home Ventilation Important?
Proper home ventilation also keeps your family healthy and home comfortable. Whether it’s from a forced air system, natural ventilation, or other mechanical means, home ventilation systems rid your home of airborne particles, like allergens, that can cause health issues.
Additionally, ventilation systems control the humidity and moisture levels in your home, saving you from uncomfortably humid rooms and structural damage caused by excess moisture.
Kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms are the biggest sources of moisture and odours in your home. If you’re experiencing excess moisture in your home, one solution is installing exhaust fans. Take it to the next level and capture the energy you’d be losing by simply exhausting this air out with a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV).
How Can You Improve Your Home’s Ventilation?
If you are experiencing poor ventilation, there are a few things you can do to help circulate the air and remove pollutants from your home:
1. Purchase a high-efficiency furnace filter for your HVAC unit. High-efficiency furnace filters trap more particles than normal furnace filters, keeping the air you breathe healthier — look for MERV 8 rating and above.
Tip: It’s important to keep in mind that higher MERV ratings are not always a good thing. Furnaces are built to operate with certain airflows, so using a different air filter than what it was built for can cause problems. To find out what kind of MERV you currently have (and if yours can handle a higher rating), check the side of your filter, the packaging it came in or contact us.
2. Call an HVAC professional. If nothing else is working to increase the ventilation in your home, you may have problems with your primary ventilation system or your home’s natural ventilation. If you decide you do need an HVAC professional, contact Afterglow: 519-747-7732.
Afterglow. Water, warmth, well-being.