Oxygen is vital to bodily functioning, and we receive that oxygen through the air we breathe. But that air isn’t always the best quality due to the many pollutants that may hitch a ride into the lungs of you and your family. These pollutants include gases, dust, dander, viruses and bacteria, and can have a significant impact on your health if not managed properly. Here are three methods of home ventilation that have been proven to improve indoor air quality.

Source control: Many pollutant-producing items or activities can be maintained and controlled. For example, you may consider smoking outdoors or adjust combustible appliances to emit fewer gases. While source control is very effective, it may not always be easy to get rid of your family pet. For this reason, using source control as your sole method for removing air pollutants may not be the most popular choice among family members.

Open your windows. These winter months pose a special problem, as most people keep their homes tightly sealed in an effort to conserve heat and energy costs. But opening up your home for a while can decrease the amount of indoor pollutants by allowing outside air to replace the air inside. Because this method may not be realistic during the coldest (or hottest) times of the year, it should be used in conjunction with other methods.

Home ventilation. Simply having your furnace or air conditioner operating likely will not work to adequately ventilate your home. Though these systems do help keep air circulating, they only do so by sending recycled air throughout the home. Fortunately, there are ventilating systems that will exchange your inside air with outside air, with some even helping to heat and cool your home and provide humidity control. Systems that provide comprehensive air purification also can help keep your indoor air fresh and clean.

Indoor air quality is an important factor in maintaining the health of you and your family. For more information about home ventilation, please contact us at Overland Park Heating & Cooling.  We’ve been serving the Kansas City area for 30 years.