Tips for Improving Indoor Air Quality During the Winter

As the winter weather takes hold of the Knoxville area, many families spend more time indoors. With all that extra time inside, it’s important to ensure optimal air quality in your home.

But how can you tell if your home is suffering from poor indoor air quality, and what can you do to improve it during winter?

In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the top challenges homeowners face with their air quality during winter and what they can do to combat them so they can breathe easily.

Three Challenges of Indoor Air Quality During Winter

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a concern for homeowners year-round, but it can be especially challenging during winter as the season imposes unique risks, such as:

Dry Air

A common winter problem is a notable decrease in humidity. As the temperature outside drops, the air inside becomes drier, which can lead to several issues, including:

• Respiratory problems
• Allergy symptoms
• Itchy skin and eyes
• Nose and throat irritation

Poor Ventilation

During winter, it’s common for families to keep their windows and doors closed tight to keep out the cold.

While this helps ensure a warm indoor environment, it can also make it easier for indoor pollutants like dust, pet dander, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to become trapped in your air supply.

Increased Particles

As the colder conditions take hold, some families may use a fireplace or a woodstove to keep warm. This can be an effective way to stay comfortable, but it can also introduce increased particulate matter, harming your respiratory health and diminishing indoor air quality.

Tips for Improving Your Indoor Air Quality This Winter

While winter can prove more challenging in terms of preserving your indoor air supply, there are many things homeowners can do to ensure they don’t suffer the consequences of polluted air in their homes:

Use a Humidifier

To eliminate dry air, using a humidifier can help tremendously. Humidifiers add moisture to the air, helping maintain an optimal humidity level of around 40–60%. This can help alleviate the symptoms associated with dry air, such as dry skin and static electricity.

Using a humidifier can also reduce the survival rate of certain viruses, helping prevent respiratory issues and other illnesses, such as the flu.

Introduce Fresh Air

While it’s important to consider energy efficiency and keep cold air out of the home during winter, allowing some fresh air into your living environment is equally critical. Open windows and doors for a few minutes daily to allow proper ventilation and remove indoor air pollutants.

Clean Your Heater

Whether you have a heat pump, furnace, boiler, woodstove, or ductless heating system, it’s important to ensure your unit is clean and well-maintained. Dirty air ducts, clogged filters, and poorly maintained systems can release pollutants and allergens into your home’s indoor air supply.

Service your system regularly and clean its components to prevent this issue.

Use Air Purifiers

Air purification is one of the most impactful methods for eliminating harmful contaminants from your air. These devices are designed to remove airborne pollutants, including dust, pollen, pet dander, and even bacteria and viruses.

When looking for an air purifier, select one with a HEPA air filter and ensure it’s properly sized to suit the square footage of your home.

Get Help With Your Indoor Air Quality From Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling

Looking for ways to combat the effects of poor indoor air quality this winter? Turn to the team at Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling for the finest indoor air quality products and materials available in the industry.

Our team offers a broad range of IAQ solutions to effectively eliminate harmful contaminants and help you breathe easy this winter.

Schedule indoor air quality services in Knoxville, TN, by calling our team at (865) 583-3957 today.