Today’s houses are more energy efficient than ever. While this is ideal for keeping your utility costs small, it’s not so good for bringing ample fresh air inside.
Recently constructed residences are firmly sealed, which indicates they don’t “breathe” like older residences can. Because of this, your residence can begin to smell stuffy, feel too humid or run into troubles with condensation. If you have allergy or asthma sufferers in your home, they might experience increasing issues.
Thankfully, it’s not complicated to improve the ventilation in your house in Litchfield Park. The majority of of the options that we’ll review in a minute are simple and inexpensive.
1. Open Windows and Screened Doors
This is the fastest way to get fresh air into your residence during mild temps. But it’s essential to note this frequently isn’t a year-round possibility and can create problems if someone in your home has seasonal allergies. If this is the case, you’ll want to avoid opening windows during the early morning. That’s when the pollen counts are the worst, according to Mayo Clinic. You also shouldn’t open them during dry, windy days, as the weather can aggravate allergies.
2. Use Exhaust Fans in Your Kitchen and Bathrooms
Running these fans draws out stale air, extra moisture, odors and other things you don’t want in your house. They’re also economical to operate. An exhaust fan costs about $7-$15 annually in electricity if you were to operate it 24/7, according to the Center for Energy and the Environment (CEE).
If you want to do this, the CEE advises looking for an ENERGY STAR® ventilation fan that offers quiet, continuous operation. These fans usually are equipped with a sensor that will turn them on automatically when there’s too much humidity, so you won’t have to make a note to turn it on or off.
However, it’s essential to be aware that an exhaust fan can undesirably impact your house’s temperature, since it’s removing air that you’ve already heated or cooled.
3. Keep Your Home’s Humidity in Check
The right humidity level for your house is between 30–50%, according to Mayo Clinic. While the correct concentration of humidity won’t improve ventilation, it can boost your house’s indoor air quality and keep your family pleasant at a more energy-efficient temp.
If there isn’t enough humidity, you could have dry skin, a scratchy throat or itchy eyes. Dry air can also affect wood flooring and furnishings in your house, causing them to fracture. On the flip side, humidity that’s too great can make air seem stale or stuffy. It can also lead to mold and mildew growth and worsen allergies or asthma.
The smartest approach to keep humidity under control is with a whole-home solution. We offer humidifiers and dehumidifiers that work with your heating and cooling system. You don’t need to transport an inefficient portable system from room to room, spilling water as you walk.
It’s also important to be aware the correct humidity concentration can also make air more pleasant at an energy-efficient temperature, helping you pay less on heating and cooling bills.
4. Install a Ventilation System
Adding a mechanical ventilation system is one of the top ways to introduce additional fresh air into your residence throughout the year. There are two different types—heat recovery ventilation (HRV) and energy recovery ventilation (ERV). These systems continually remove stuffy indoor air and replace it with fresh outdoor air.
HRV is great for cool climates, since it retains the heat from the indoor air it exhausts. ERV is fantastic for humid climates, because it pulls out warmth and moisture from your air. Some climates can benefit from both systems, so talk with our Cooler Tymes LLC ventilation pros about what’s best for your Litchfield Park home.
If stuffy or persistent odors are an issue in your residence, you can also get a whole-house air purification system. These systems provide an additional level of filtration, which can also help with reducing pet dander, allergens and bacteria in your house.
Our ventilation pros are here to help you find the ideal product for your house. Contact us at 623-208-6444 right away for a free, no-obligation home comfort assessment. We’ll visually inspect your existing equipment and listen to your needs in advance of offering our suggestions on the best possibilities to improve ventilation in your house.