Living Green on the Front Range
Check back often for an ever-expanding database of interesting articles about local and national sustainability issues, green building and eco-homes topics, energy efficiency tips, sustainable products and more.
Healthier Winter Homes |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Dec 05 2008 at 1:21 PM |
Winter means more time spent inside for most people. Unfortunately it's a fact that indoor air quality is typically far worse than the air you breathe outside. And, with houses closed up to the outside air, lots of people begin to notice allergies, colds and other health issues during winter months that never seem to affect them during other times of the year.
However, you can take some simple precautions to make sure your indoor air quality is good and you feel great this winter.
Annually Inspect HVAC Systems
It’s a good idea to have a trained professional inspect and tune up your central heating system annually to ensure against any leaks or problems. The same goes for gas fireplaces and woodstoves. Proper operation of these is very important for your health.
Furnace Filters Matter
Better air filtration is one key to improving air quality. Even if you don’t tune up your furnace, make sure you change your furnace filter often. Buy the proper size and pay attention to which filter you purchase.
Certain furnace filters are now specially designed to remove finer particles. While they cost more, it's probably worth it if you have an allergy sufferer in your home. One brand, AllergyZone, claims to be 500% more effective than standard fiberglass filters
Clean Your Ducts
If you haven't had the air ducts of your forced air furnace cleaned recently, you probably have a build-up of dust, dirt, pollen, animal dander and other contaminants in your HCAC system. Over time, the build-up of these contaminants provides a breeding ground for mold spores, fungus, mildew and other not-so-lovely items.
Any family member who has allergies or asthma is likely to be affected any time you turn on your furnace in the winter and these various pollutants get blasted into the air you breathe. As a side benefit, cleaning you HVAC system can help your furnace run more efficiently.
Mold and Mildew Can Be an Issue
With houses closed up, it's not uncommon to notice mold or mildew forming in certain warm, damp places, especially in bathrooms around tubs and on the ceiling. If you have a bathroom fan, you should use it every time you shower or bathe to pull the steam and moisture from the air.
Have an electrician tie the fan and bathroom light switch together so that any time the light goes on the fan turns on as well. And, make sure that your bathroom fan vents to the outside, and not just into an attic or crawl space.
If your bathrooms don’t have fans, it’s worthwhile to consider having one installed to prevent potentially harmful mold from forming. Otherwise, opening a window to ventilate the room is an option as well, although not the most energy efficient solution.
Pay Attention to the Risk of Carbon Monoxide
It's an unfortunate fact that the risk of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning increases in the winter when houses are sealed and residents use home heating equipment and run cars in their garages to warm them up. Carbon Monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that is harmful. Mild poisoning can make a person feel flu-ish, and serious poisoning can lead to death.
Improper installation of, or damage to furnaces and water heaters and other fuel powered heating equipment can lead to CO escaping into your home. That’s why it’s critical to have a CO detector installed on each level of the house, especially near bedrooms. And to be safe, never start your car and leave it idling in the garage. While newer cars produce much less CO, harmful fumes can still seep into your home.
As you can see, it’s fairly easy to make your home more healthy this winter. Put in place these simple actions and breathe easier all winter.
provided by Lara Williams
Owner/Managing Broker, The Green Team Real Estate
www.GreenTeamRE.com