Asheville area homeowners usually enjoy comfortable weather despite how North Carolina’s humidity ranks higher than the national average. In consideration, a ventilation system is essential. Higher humidity equates to increased risks associated with your health and home. High humidity creates excessive moisture, which may adversely affect indoor air quality and can cause damage your home.

Gases from combustible appliances such as fireplaces and stoves accumulate when your home lacks proper ventilation. Higher humidity equals excessive moisture and an increased risk for mold growth, as well as higher energy bills from your home’s cooling system having to work harder.

Three strategies for ventilating the home

• Natural – This is uncontrolled air movement via opened windows, doors and the like. Though it’s low-cost and easy to employ, venting your home the natural way becomes more difficult during extreme temperatures.
• Spot – Ventilating in this way means you’re employing localized exhaust fans, such as those installed in the kitchen or bathroom. These remove pollutants and moisture quickly and easily, but only in a small specific area.
• Whole-house – Whole-house systems utilize one or more fans as well as a duct system for the exchange of indoor and outdoor air. There are a handful of ways to use these whole-house ventilating techniques, including through exhaust-only methods, which rely on natural leaks throughout the home to supply fresh air; supply only, which uses a home’s natural leaks to remove stale air; and balanced, which features both exhaust and supply intakes.

Whenever you notice dusty surfaces, dirty or clogged filters, or unpleasant smells such as fumes or mold, you might have a problem with your ventilation system. Don’t hesitate to contact the pros at Smoky Mountain Heating & Air. We help homeowners throughout the Asheville area with their HVAC needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Asheville, North Carolina and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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