Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling
In the hottest summer months, there’s nothing quite like drinking a glass of iced tea and sitting in an air-conditioned room. But that seeming escape can actually be detrimental for your health if you have poor indoor air quality. From headaches, fatigue, and trouble concentrating to irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, indoor air contaminants have been linked to diseases like asthma. How can you improve the air quality in your home? There are a number of available solutions. We’ve pulled a few of them together here to help you decide which one is right for you. Read on as we discuss indoor air quality tips to help you breathe easy this summer.
Circulation is critical for good indoor air quality. Stale indoor air can become thick with contaminants and excess humidity, which can lead to mold growth. An air exchanger like the Venmar® Ventilation System, provides your home with a continuous flow of filtered outdoor air, reducing humidity and expelling pollutants from the home.
With an air cleaner, you can upgrade your existing heating and cooling system to help you improve the air you breathe. These systems capture airborne dust, pollen, and other particles far better than your standard furnace filter, helping eliminate pollutants in the air.
UV light technology can go beyond removing airborne particles to eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and reducing microorganisms. The best part? UV air purification systems like the BreatheCLEAN UV air purifier can be easily installed into existing ductwork with no major changes to your HVAC system.
If you’re looking to breathe easier, the experienced indoor air quality professionals at WestAIR are here to help. See what our customers have to say, and then contact us to schedule a service today!
This entry was posted in AC,Air Conditioning,Health Tips,Indoor Air Quality,Tips and tagged Air cleaner, Air exchanger, Importance of Indoor Air Quality, Indoor air quality, Indoor air quality solutions, Indoor Air Quality Tips, Summer, Summer Cooling, Summer HVAC, Summer HVAC Tips, Ultraviolet Light Air Purification, UV Light Air Purification, UV lights, WestAIR Heating & Cooling
Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling
With the recent snowfall and chilly temps, there’s no denying that winter is almost here. Time to prepare! As heating season makes its way to Minnesota, we must remember to keep the air in our home clean as well as warm. Use this guide to winter indoor air quality maintenance to keep your family cozy, healthy, and happy throughout the season.
When cold weather hits, we seal our homes to prevent the warm air produced by our furnaces from escaping. While this helps increase comfort and energy efficiency, it also traps dust, pollen, and other airborne contaminants inside the home that then decrease indoor air quality. Common signs of poor winter indoor air quality include:
Escaping the bitter cold of Minnesota winters means spending more time inside our home, making clean indoor air crucial to our comfort and health. Thankfully, homeowners can improve and maintain air quality with these helpful tips.
This year has presented us all with new and unique challenges. But no matter how unpredictable 2020 has been, we know we can always plan for harsh winter weather here in Minnesota. We’re already seeing the temps drop and snow fall, so don’t wait! Use these winter indoor air quality maintenance tips to enjoy clean, comfy air inside your home this heating season.
For all your heating and cooling needs, trust the HVAC experts at WestAIR. Contact us today to learn more.
This entry was posted in Duct Cleaning,Furnace,Health Tips,Heating,Humidifier,Humidity,HVAC Maintenance,Indoor Air Quality,Tips,Winter and tagged Air cleaner, Air exchanger, Duct cleaning, Duct cleaning service, Heating, Heating Tips, Humidfier, Humidity, Humidity Management, HVAC tips, Indoor air quality, Indoor air quality solutions, Professional duct cleaning, Residential HVAC, Ventilation, WestAIR Heating & Cooling, Winter, Winter HVAC, Winter HVAC Tips, Winter Indoor Air Quality, Winter Indoor Air Quality Maintenance, Winter Tips, Winterize
Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling
Seeing warmer weather and longer days is bittersweet for allergy sufferers. Spring may be in the air, but so are pesky allergens. As we spend more time in our homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor air quality becomes more important than ever. Use these helpful tips for controlling spring allergies at home to stay healthy and comfortable.
Controlling allergies begins with limiting exposure to allergens. Limit your time outdoors whenever possible. If you do venture out, don’t wear the same clothing and shoes around your home. Dirt, dust, pollen, and other irritants can cling to you and your wardrobe. Avoid tracking them around by changing as soon as you return home.
Dust and allergens will settle on the surfaces of your home. Try to clean them at least weekly, and more often if you are leaving windows and doors open.
Air ducts transport fresh air between your home and HVAC system, and over time will collect dust, pollen, and other airborne particles that travel through them. Having them cleaned annually is vital to indoor air quality. Schedule a professional duct cleaning service to help ensure you’re ready for the season.
The air filter blocks airborne irritants from getting into your system. However, it becomes dirty and less effective over time. If left long enough, the filter can also become clogged and make your system work harder, causing higher bills and faster wear and tear. Change (or clean it if re-usable) your air filter monthly to keep the system running properly.
The name says it all. An air cleaner uses a filter to trap up to 97 percent of airborne bacteria, mold, dander, and other pollen-sized irritants. It can also eliminate viruses, kill germs, and neutralize odors and fumes.
Breaking through an organism’s cell wall to destroy its DNA, UV light rays prevent that organism from reproducing and causing illness. UV technology has been around for over 100 years, and many homeowners today utilize it as a highly effective way to kill harmful bacteria, mold, and viruses in the home.
These systems conveniently work in conjunction with your current HVAC system. WestAIR is an authorized dealer of BreatheCLEAN UV air purification systems. Contact us to learn more or to schedule your UV light system installation.
Letting fresh air into the home can be beneficial, but it brings allergens along with it. An air exchanger solves this by exhausting stale indoor air and excess humidity while also delivering a continuous flow of filtered outdoor air inside. Installing a programmable thermostat will help you maintain indoor comfort without constantly managing temperature. And again, remember to keep your filter clean!
Controlling spring allergies at home comes down to limiting exposure to allergens. It sounds simple, but don’t be fooled into thinking the home is a completely irritant-free safe space. While we may be spending less time outdoors than usual this spring, use these tips to maintain indoor air quality and keep allergy symptoms at bay.
WestAIR’s HVAC experts are here for all your heating and cooling needs. As we continue helping our customers prepare their homes for the spring and summer during this time, our team is taking extra precautions to protect the health and safety of themselves and everyone they service. We prioritize your comfort and satisfaction in all that we do. Contact us today to schedule service and learn more.
This entry was posted in AC,Air Conditioning,Cooling,Duct Cleaning,Health Tips,Indoor Air Quality,Spring,Tips and tagged Air cleaner, air conditioning, Air exchanger, Air filters, Family Health, Family Safety, Heating, Home Heating, Home Safety, Homeowner Education, Homeowner Tips, HVAC Safety, HVAC tips, Importance of Indoor Air Quality, Indoor air quality, Spring Allergies, Spring Cleaning, Spring Heating and Cooling, UV Light
Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling
In the Midwest, we feel the weather to the extremes – below zero and dry in the winter to 90+ degrees and humid in the summer. For those summer months, many of us cool our homes with some sort of air conditioning, but the humidity still sticks around the house. Extra moisture makes the air feel warmer and damages your walls, floors, furniture, and cabinets. You can effectively reduce indoor humidity with three different products, but which one will work best for you?
These units plug into any room and are suitable for homes with poor air circulation or no ventilation. Spaces like the basement, kitchen, or bathroom become susceptible to mold. Dishwashers, dryers, and showers add extra heat and moisture to your home. Portable dehumidifiers are the smartest solution for rooms that smell of must or feel damp and stale.
This system works best for old houses that use ductwork for heating and cooling. Older houses are prone to leaks and mold. If you often find condensation on your walls or you’ve had problems with mold before, you should consider a whole house dehumidifier. If you or a family member has asthma or chronic respiratory issues, humidity can aggravate your symptoms. Install a whole house dehumidifier to reduce moisture and improve your health.
An air exchanger has two channels of air flow, ventilating your home with fresh, filtered air. One channel pulls outside air into the home, while the other pushes stale air out. This exchange removes humid air or pollutants. The air exchanger works seamlessly with your heating & cooling equipment to improve air quality. If you own a newer home and want a constant supply of fresh air, consider adding an air exchanger to your HVAC system.
Contact WestAIR Heating and Cooling to learn more about reducing humidity, improving indoor air quality, and installing an air exchanger in your home.
This entry was posted in AC,Air Conditioning,Cooling,Energy Savings,Indoor Air Quality and tagged Air, Air cleaner, Air exchanger, Allergies, Asthma, Basement, Bathroom, Breath better, Condensation, Dehumidifier, Hot weather, Humid, Humidity, Indoor humidity, Kitchen, Mold, Portable dehumidifier, Summer, Toxic, Whole home dehumidifier
Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling
Many people think that the air inside their home or workplace is cleaner than the air outside. However, in the majority of situations this is not the case. The air indoors at times is not as fresh as outdoor air and may be polluted with things such as dust mites, pet dander, mold, aerosols and bacteria. These such things may cause allergies, dry or runny nose, itchy eyes and throat or headaches.
It is important that we take the necessairy steps to be concerned with the quaility of the air that we breathe just as we are with the food that we put into our bodies. The best solution for indoor air quiality is proper ventilation which can be satisfied with an air exchanger from WestAIR. For more details and information please visit our website to read more on air exchangers.
Proudly delivering the “Quality Service you expect” for 25+ years. Contact WestAIR Heating and Cooling today for a free estimate (763)498-8071. Location: 11184 River Road NE Hanover, MN 55341
This entry was posted in Indoor Air Quality,Tips and tagged Air exchanger, Allergies, Dust, Indoor air, Indoor air quality, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mold, Outdoor air, Pollution
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