3 Everyday Steps to Clear the Air in Your Home

 

3 Everyday Steps to Clear the Air in Your Home

Dust, dirt and other airborne particulates are a constant annoyance for many Kansas City area homeowners. But because they are constantly introduced into your household, they aren’t something that can be completely eliminated. All is not lost, however; there are some things you can do to get a handle on the situation and clear the air in your home.

  1. Seal air leaks around windows and doors. Air leaks can allow dust to infiltrate the home. Use weatherstripping, caulk or spray foam to seal air leaks around exterior doors and windows, at spots where building materials meet, and at outside wall penetrations for vents, fittings, pipes and wiring.
  2. Seal air ducts. Your home’s ductwork acts like a human lung to carry stale air to the central HVAC equipment to be conditioned, and supply the cooled or heated air to the various rooms of your indoor environment. However, ductwork can become loose, disconnected, or develop cracks and gaps along its metal sheathing. These leaks allow dust and debris to get sucked into the ductwork and get distributed into your indoor living spaces. To clear the air in your home, ensure your air ducts are properly sealed and cleaned. You can use duct sealing adhesives to seal any cracks in visible segments. But for a more thorough duct sealing job, or to have your ductwork inspected for efficiency and possible cleaning, contact a professional HVAC contractor.
  3. Upgrade and clean HVAC air filtersUse an air filter with a higher MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating to capture dust and debris before it gets into your central HVAC equipment. In most cases, air filters should be replaced (or cleaned) every month during the higher-use seasons (i.e., the peak of summer and winter), and less often during the fall and spring. This is because the more often your central equipment works, the more dust and debris will clog the air filter. A clogged filter will slow airflow, wasting energy and overworking your system.

For more tips on how to clear the air in your home, please contact our experts at Overland Park Heating & Cooling, Inc.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “dgbomb/Shutterstock”