In Shreveport, LA, winter temperatures drop down to around 42 degrees Fahrenheit. While this may not be as cold as places further up north, you’ll likely find yourself closing your windows and doors more often and turning on your furnace. This can pose a problem for your indoor air quality. Oftentimes, IAQ can be worse indoors than outside. Let’s discuss the contaminants you may be dealing with in the winter as well as how you can improve your indoor air quality.
Winter Indoor Air Contaminants
Indoor air can be negatively affected by several factors. This includes contaminants such as dust, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander, etc. Volatile organic compounds are also a concern in homes. These VOCs typically come from sources such as chemical cleaning products, air fresheners, beauty products, new carpets, paint, etc.
All these contaminants can be harmful to your health. They can cause an increase in allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, coughing, and headaches. People with asthma may see an increase in attacks or flare-ups when they are exposed to high levels of indoor air pollution. VOC exposure can cause nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and even mood changes.
It’s also important to point out that bacteria and viruses may be present in your indoor air during the winter months. You can combat the cold and flu season by using filtration technology that can destroy these microorganisms, such as UV light filtration.
Addressing Winter IAQ Concerns
There are several ways that you can address the quality of your indoor air in the winter months. It’s important that you are regularly changing the filter in your HVAC system. This should be done once every 30 to 90 days, depending on the type of filter that you’re using. If you’re running your furnace frequently, have pets in the home, or have recently had any kind of remodeling work performed, you may want to consider changing your filter more frequently. If you have whole-house filtration equipment, you’ll need to periodically change those filters as well.
There are different types of filters available for use in your furnace as well as air filtration devices. Consider the indoor contaminants that you’re worried about when choosing the option that’s best for your home.
Fiberglass Filters
Fiberglass filters are incredibly affordable filters. Unfortunately, they’re not as effective as some of the other filter options that are out there. Most fiberglass filters will only remove about 20% of the particulate matter in your indoor air, including carpet fibers, dust, pet dander, and pollen. These filters clog easily and must be changed roughly every 30 days. Using a fiberglass filter can increase your risk of particulate matter accumulating on the interior components of your furnace, which can decrease efficiency and result in unnecessary wear and tear.
High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters
High-efficiency particulate air filters are effective at removing up to 99.97% of the contaminants that we have in our indoor air during the winter months and beyond. Unfortunately, HEPA filters can really restrict airflow, so they aren’t an option for all furnace types. You’ll often see HEPA filters used in air purification equipment, which can handle airflow restrictions.
Electrostatic Filtration
Electrostatic filtration units work by charging particulate matter and collecting it on oppositely charged collection plates. Very effective at removing the most common particulate matter from your indoor air, this is also an affordable option for improving IAQ. You don’t have to purchase filters that need to be replaced. You simply remove the electrostatic plates and wash them every so often. Just make sure that they’re dry before you put them back into the unit.
Activated Carbon Filtration
You can use activated carbon filters in the winter months to improve the overall scent of your home as well as remove VOCs from your air. You’ll usually see activated carbon layered with another filter medium. These filters are usually a little more restrictive than your average pleated filter. Again, make sure you’re not putting too much strain on your HVAC system.
Pleated Filters
Thanks to more surface area, pleated filters do a better job of collecting particulate matter than, say, fiberglass filters. They can remove things like dust, dust mites, pollen, mold spores, and pet dander. However, they do allow some particulates to pass through. They’re a good filter option to use if you’re going to combine this filtration with whole-house purification as well.
MERV Ratings
Filters are often rated using the minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV. This rating is usually between 1 and 20 and reflects how restrictive a filter is. The more restrictive a filter is, the more particles it can trap. However, don’t grab the most restrictive filter you can find. Your furnace likely won’t be able to handle a high MERV rating if you have a standard residential furnace. Most furnaces benefit from a filter that is rated around 8 MERV. Anything higher may require an upgraded furnace. You usually see these higher ratings in commercial buildings that have much more powerful HVAC systems.
Consider Ventilation
While the temperatures outside may be lower than you find comfortable, it’s still important that you maintain some degree of air exchange between the inside of your home and the outside. You likely have exhaust fans installed in areas like your kitchen and bathrooms. These fans should be turned on when you’re cooking, bathing, or cleaning. This will remove contaminants from your indoor air as well as help control humidity. High levels of humidity in the home can result in more particulate matter being held in the air. This can decrease your IAQ.
Open your windows at least a little bit for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes per day. This helps remove old air from the home and replaces it with fresher, healthier air. If you’re concerned with maintaining the temperature in your home, open windows during times of the day when the temperature outside is at its highest. This may be the early part of the afternoon.
If you are still experiencing poor ventilation in your home, there is ventilation equipment that can be installed in areas like your attic and other living spaces. This will help circulate and refresh your indoor air.
If you are looking for more ways to improve the quality of your indoor air during the winter months in Shreveport, reach out to our team here at Bobby L Greene Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Co. We can conduct an HVAC maintenance for you to determine how your heating and cooling system can best function. We can make recommendations for improving your IAQ, including the installation of whole-house filtration, increased ventilation, and humidity control. We also install, maintain, and repair different types of heating and cooling equipment. Our plumbing services include leak detection and repair, water heater installation, repair, and maintenance, water filtration, and more. We also provide solar services to help you reduce your carbon footprint and make your home more efficient.
Contact Bobby L Greene Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Co. in Shreveport today to schedule an HVAC appointment.
