Are You Maintaining Your Indoor Air Quality?

As the temperatures drop, we tend to start spending more and more times indoors. That being a matter of fact, you need to ensure that your home is both comfortable and safe for you and your family. Surprising to most homeowners, indoor air quality can sometimes be more polluted than what’s outdoors.

Here are a few tips to maintain a superior level of indoor air quality this fall and winter so you and your family can breathe easy:

Invest in a better furnace filter

Your furnace filter is your home’s first defense against pollutants, allergens, dust, and other nasty particles.

Change Your filter often

In addition to investing in a good filter to protect your household, you also want to ensure you’re changing your furnace filter often enough. At a minimum, you should change your filter at least 4 times each year, at the start of each new season. If you have pets and/or suffer from allergies year-round, consider changing your filter once a month during the winter months when you’re using your furnace more often and more particles are collecting on the filters.

Ensure Your ductwork is in tiptop shape

Your furnace works by distributing warm air throughout your home through a system of ducts. You should schedule an annual duct cleaning from a professional HVAC technician to make sure that the air being pushed through the ducts isn’t sending pollutants throughout your home and harming your indoor air quality. During your cleaning, your HVAC tech will also inspect your ductwork to see if any repairs are needed to improve your energy efficiency and they’ll be able to identify any potential hazards, like mold, insects, or rodents.

Avoid artificial air fresheners

While it’s tempting to want your home to smell good, especially around the holidays (when you’re likely to have people in your home), avoid the temptation to use air fresheners and scented cleaners. Whatever you spray on or around your HVAC system can be breathed in. Consider natural alternatives like natural oils instead.

Schedule Your furnace tune-up

Make sure you’ve scheduled your annual furnace tune-up at the beginning of the winter season. This will let you know if furnace is working properly so you can stay warm and keep your energy bill costs down because your HVAC tech will be able to identify and fix any problems that could be hindering your system’s efficiency.

Winter is coming. Are you ready? Schedule your ductwork cleaning and furnace tune-up today to keep your household warm, safe, and comfortable all winter long.