Air Quality for Homeowners: How to Breathe Easy While at Home

Indoor air quality can have a big impact on your health and wellness of your Northwest Calgary home. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to improve your home's air quality. If you're a homeowner seeking to freshen the air in your home and make it healthier for the people in your household, these tips can help.

Change Your Air Filter Every 3 Months

Many HVAC systems have an air filter that removes dust, pollen, and dander from the air that circulates through the ducts. The air filter must be changed every three months when the HVAC system is in use. Homeowners who want to remove smaller particles from the air in their home may wish to install a HEPA filter.

Clean Your Ducts

Even with a clean air filter in place, ducts may develop a layer of dust on the inside. When the HVAC system is turned on, this dust is distributed around the house. Cleaning your ducts is an excellent way to eliminate this dust and prevent the dust from circulating when the HVAC system is in use.

Most homeowners don't clean their air ducts regularly, but wait until the time is right. Homeowners can check their ducts for dust by removing a duct cover and peering into the duct with a flashlight.

Use Low VOC Products

VOC stands for volatile organic compound. VOCs are found in chemicals like cleaning products and paint. Low VOC products can reduce the amount of air pollution in the home and make the air safer to breathe. To reduce presence of VOCs in the house, many homeowners now seek out low VOC paint for their homes, and natural cleaning products as well. There are a variety of ways to improve your immunity but start with clean air. 

Know the Source of Poor Indoor Air Quality

Poor indoor air quality can come from many sources, including:

• Mould
• Mildew
• Pets
• Poor cleaning or maintenance habits
• Asbestos in the home
• Humidity

Knowing these sources can help homeowners determine how healthy their air likely is and what can be done to improve their air quality.

Test Your Air

One of the best things that homeowners can do to ensure that their home has good air quality is to test their air with a testing kit. Testing kits come in different types and test for different things, so homeowners must decide in advance what kind of pollutant they expect to find.

Homeowners who test their air can reveal many things about what's in the air they breathe every day. Once the test is complete, then the homeowner can proceed to remediate any problems the test reveals.