Because cold air holds less moisture than warm air, winter indoor humidity can drop to 15 percent. Many Peachtree City homes are sealed to prevent energy loss, but insufficient ventilation combined with low humidity allows disease-causing microbes to accumulate in the air. Dry winter air impairs the ability of nasal membranes to trap these harmful airborne particles. Instead, they get into your lungs and can make you sick or cause respiratory distress. Winter air also dries out your skin and makes it itch, flake and crack. Here’s what you can do about keeping your indoor air healthy in winter:
Schedule Heat Pump or Furnace Service
Proper heating system maintenance includes equipment cleaning. Gunk builds up on heat pumps and furnaces, and it can damage your equipment and pollute indoor air. Getting the unit serviced in fall keeps winter indoor air cleaner. The unit will also keep you more comfortable and perform more efficiently. In between maintenance visits, check the air filter every month and replace it when it’s dirty.
Install UV Lights
Air cleaners trap contaminants in a high-density filter whereas air purifiers neutralize them. UV lights are a type of air purifier. When these small lamps are installed in your home’s ductwork, they kill disease-causing microbes as the air in your home passes over them. UV lights are positioned near your heat pump or furnace, so they also keep mold, bacteria, viruses and fungi from collecting on HVAC units.
Humidify Indoor Air
Humidifiers add moisture to indoor air, but you have to keep the humidity level within certain parameters. You want it to be high enough to keep you comfortable and healthy, but you don’t want it so high that it causes damage to your home. With Peachtree City’s moderate climate, relative indoor winter humidity should be between 40 and 50 percent.
To learn more about keeping the air in your Peachtree City home healthy, visit Trinity Air Inc., Heating & Air Conditioning or call us at (770) 691-5394 to inquire about an indoor air quality evaluation.
