Most homeowners are surprised to learn that the air inside their home may be filled with pollutants such as dust, allergens, chemical fumes, mold spores, viruses and bacteria. In fact, studies have shown that indoor air is often far more polluted than the air outdoors.

Combating indoor air pollution requires a three-pronged approach. This approach includes removing or controlling sources of pollution, improving ventilation and using an air cleaner to eliminate any remaining contaminants from the air. Try using the following strategies to improve indoor air quality.

Eliminate Pollution Sources

The first step in improving indoor air quality is to reduce or eliminate sources indoor air pollution. Some of the most common offenders include the following:

• Candles
• Air fresheners
• Fireplaces and wood burning stoves
• Asbestos-laden building materials
• Dirty or damp carpeting
• Tobacco products
• Mold and mildew
• House plants
• Paint
• Household cleaners
• Pesticides and other chemicals

Removing or containing as many of these sources of air pollution as possible can go a long ways toward improving indoor air quality.

Increase Ventilation

Next, you should consider installing a heat recovery ventilation system in order to improve ventilation. These systems blow stale, polluted air out of your house while simultaneously drawing clean, fresh air in.

What makes them unique compared to other types of ventilation systems is that they are able to recover a large percentage of the heat from the air inside your home before it is blown outdoors. This reduces the heating burden for your furnace while still allowing you to enjoy plenty of fresh air inside your home.

Clean The Air

The final component of improving indoor air quality involves removing any remaining contaminants from the air. The best way to accomplish this is by using a whole-house air purification system. These systems, which usually install directly into your existing ductwork, are an effective way to remove pollution from the air.

If you live in the Asheville area and would like to learn more about heat recovery ventilation or whole-house air purification, contact us at Smoky Mountain Heating & Air.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Smoky Mountain Heating & Air services Asheville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!          

Indoor air quality photo via Shutterstock