In addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise, your environment affects your health. Your HVAC system is a critical component of your home’s environment. Here are five ways to optimize it for better health.
During winter, low humidify causes more than cracked skin. Your dried nose and throat can make you susceptible to colds. Installing a humidifier will address this but you need to ensure that you don’t over humidify your home and end up with an environment that’s perfect for mold and pathogens to grow. Talk to your TriState technician about the right humidity control for your home. Check out an earlier blog post about dry winter air, and the importance of humidifiers.
In your attempts to save energy, lowering your home’s setpoint may seem like a viable option. Just be careful not to lower it too much. Conversely, keeping the temperature too high affects your health as well as your wallet. Your ideal temperature varies from day (with ongoing activity at home) to night (lower temperatures improve sleep quality). A programmable thermostat will help keep your temperature just right throughout the day while a well-balanced air system will keep the temperature consistent throughout your home.
Don’t underestimate the importance of replacing stale, moist indoor air with fresh air from outside. Exhausting moist bathroom and kitchen air will reduce humidity issues, not only in these areas but throughout your house. Introducing fresh air prevents the buildup of carbon dioxide and other gases, some of which can cause long term health issues and are downright toxic. Installing an energy recovery ventilation system gives you the benefit of healthy, fresh air without the cost of higher energy consumption.
Ventilation is a first step in reducing the allergens in your home. The right filtration for your furnace is another way to further limit the growth and buildup of mites, dust, and other allergens. An air purifier will take your air quality to the next level as you further remove pathogens and other invisible enemies to your health. For more information about allergens in the home, check out this blog post from last year.
As part of maintaining your home’s temperature, keeping it consistent throughout requires eliminating cold spots. This could involve upgrading your furnace to produce even more heat, sealing windows and doors or balancing air distribution. Consult with your TriState technician about the best option for your situation to keep your home’s heat exactly where it needs to be.