If the air seems stale in your McKinney-area home, it might be because you’ve done a terrific job of sealing and insulating. But don’t get rid of all that weatherstripping. There’s a smarter way to optimize the air quality in your home. That’s with a ventilation strategy. With planning, you can easily enjoy the benefits of both sealing and ventilating.
The importance of home ventilation
Poor indoor air quality is often associated with homes that lack good ventilation. Without a constant exchange of stale air for fresh air, a house can develop moisture problems, leading to mold or mildew. Chemical and cooking fumes can hang in the air. Harmful combustion gases from a gas furnace or water heater can pose a safety hazard. And backdrafting can be a real concern. To mitigate these issues, it’s smart to look at ways to get the bad air out and the good air in.
A comprehensive home ventilation strategy
Unfortunately, many homeowners think that all they have to do is open a window or two. Although it’s always nice to let in a warm spring breeze, this isn’t enough to get the job done. Here are some components of an effective ventilation strategy.
- Exhaust fans: Use an exhaust fan in your kitchen and in each of your bathrooms. Make sure they’re vented to the outside. When you’re showering, turn on the fan and keep it running for 10 minutes after you’ve finished. This will help to remove condensation that can invite mold and mildew.
- Mechanical ventilation systems – These systems are designed to evacuate moisture and contaminated air and replace it with fresh air. There are basically two types of mechanical ventilation systems: heat-recovery ventilation and energy-recovery ventilation. Talk with your HVAC contractor about the system that’s best or your home.
- Proper sizing of your air conditioner: If you’re planning to replace your air conditioner, make sure your HVAC technician does an accurate load calculation. This will help to ensure that you get a unit that’s sufficiently sized to dehumidify your home.
For more help with developing a home ventilation strategy, contact Bill Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating. We proudly serve residents of the McKinney, Frisco and Allen areas.
