How Can I Improve My Indoor Air Quality?
Some of your favorite activities may be lowering indoor air quality (IAQ) in your Pacific Northwest home.
Consider the pet dander you let fly when you brush your dog or play with your cat. Or the fumes that taint the air as you prepare a gourmet meal on your gas cooktop. Your collection of indoor houseplants may hike your indoor humidity, and the paint you brush on woodworking projects emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your living space.
You probably will not stop engaging in your favorite pastimes because of a little particulate matter, gases, or out-of-whack humidity. However, you can improve the air you breathe in your home.
Carrier Northwest can help you get started.
We work with Carrier dealers throughout Oregon, Washington, Montana, Northern Idaho, and Northern California who assess the air quality in your home and offer solutions to improve it. These heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) experts can recommend the best product to filter particles, trap germs, and maintain humidity at the desired level. Click on our Find A Dealer link to choose a pro.
How A Professional Can Improve Your Air
Where do you want to clean the air? In your living space or inside your HVAC equipment? A Carrier dealer can point you in the right direction.
Consider an ultraviolet (UV) lamp if you are concerned about the potential for mold and bacteria growth around the drain pan and evaporator coils in your cooling system. When placed inside your cooling system, a UV lamp protects your HVAC equipment and prevents organisms from growing and circulating in your living space.
A whole-house filtering system, such as Carrier’s Infinity Air Purifier, removes pollutants from indoor air throughout your home by trapping them in a powerful filter. The Infinity system adds a second layer of protection by using an electrical charge to kill the contaminants. With a MERV 15 filter, the unit captures up to 95 percent of particles and kills 99 percent of germs.
Ask a Carrier dealer which air purification system would work best in your home.
A qualified technician also can determine if you need more or less moisture in your indoor air. The moisture content determines if you need a whole-house humidifier or a dehumidifier to keep the humidity level in your home between 30-50 percent.
Too much moisture provides an environment for mold and mildew growth which can aggravate allergies and asthma. Too little can dry out your skin and irritate your sinuses.
A ventilator can freshen your environment by exhausting stale air outside. The device conditions and filters incoming air before it enters your living space, making it a cleaner choice than just opening a window.
How You Can Improve Indoor Air
- Vacuum carpeting, sweep floors, and dust. You do not want an environment that encourages dust mites or other pests.
- Use exhaust fans. The American Lung Association says gas stoves release nitrogen dioxide, which can increase asthma attacks and reduce lung function. Foods also can emit gases or particulate matter as they cook.
If your exhaust fan does not move contaminants outdoors, open a window, use a portable air purifier, or ask a Carrier dealer for a whole-house solution.
Use the exhaust fan in your bathroom after showering to eliminate excess humidity.
- Look at your air filter every month and replace it if it is dirty. Change your HVAC air filter at least every three months. A dirty air filter restricts airflow and stresses your equipment. It also contributes to poor indoor air quality. If you own a ductless system, follow the instructions in your owner’s manual regarding the frequency of filter changes and cleanings.
- Vacuum the grilles covering your air vents regularly. Consider scheduling air duct cleaning with a dealer in our Carrier Northwest directory.
- Refrain from smoking indoors.
Talk To An Indoor Air Quality Expert
Choose a Carrier dealer to help you improve the indoor air in your home. Find a local HVAC company through our Carrier Northwest Find A Dealer link.