Improving home ventilation is one of the best ways to boost the air quality in your home. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is often worse than outdoor air quality, so many homeowners work hard to minimize pollutants and irritants inside their homes. Proper airflow can reduce allergens, lower humidity, make a room feel less stuffy, and eliminate bad smells. Better airflow can also make your living space more comfortable on a daily basis.
In this guide, we’ll explore some easy ways to improve ventilation in your home. We’ll also discuss upgrades you can consider for improved airflow.
1. Utilize Exhaust Fans
Exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom are important for keeping the air in your home healthy. They help remove excess moisture, pollutants, and allergens from the air. These fans also effectively eliminate any unwanted odors.
We all know that using the bathroom can leave a bad smell, but the kitchen can also have its odors while cooking. For instance, the smell of bacon can linger for hours if you don’t turn on the exhaust fan to remove it. Always use exhaust fans when cleaning with products that release fumes or odors.
2. Strategically Open Windows
Opening windows in your home is an excellent way to increase fresh air and improve ventilation. When you let fresh air in, it helps push stale air out, particularly if you open the windows strategically.
To ventilate your home effectively, create a cross draft by opening windows on opposite sides. Before you do this, check the pollen level outside. Bringing in high levels of pollen can be a significant concern for individuals with severe allergies or asthma who are sensitive to it.
3. Grow Plants in Your Home
While plants should not replace proper ventilation in your home, certain varieties, such as spider plants, snake plants, and peace lilies, can help purify the air. They effectively remove toxins and enhance the overall air quality indoors. By providing natural filtration, these plants can also help your HVAC system operate more efficiently. Furthermore, they add a small amount of moisture to the air, which reduces dust and makes dry environments more comfortable.
Plants also promote airflow. When grouped, they facilitate the exchange of air, preventing stagnation and keeping the air fresh. This can help combat the stale air that often accumulates in homes over time.
4. Using Ceiling Fans and Air Circulators
Ceiling fans are an easy way to improve air circulation in your home and enhance ventilation. These fans are designed to circulate air throughout the year.
In the summer, set the fan to spin counterclockwise. This will push air downward, creating a cool breeze that helps keep your home comfortable on hot, humid days. In the winter, switch the fan to rotate clockwise. This pulls air up to the ceiling, helping to trap warmer air in the room.
When used with open windows or exhaust fans, ceiling fans can effectively move fresh air throughout your home. This reduces humidity levels and helps prevent mold growth. Just remember to keep your fan blades clean and dust-free before using them to ensure better ventilation without adding any irritants to the air.
5. Schedule Professional Services for Your HVAC System
Scheduling a maintenance session with our team at Kalins Indoor Comfort is crucial for improving ventilation in your home. A technician will clear the airflow by checking and cleaning your vents and ducts. It’s also important to change the air filters in your home every three months. If you notice hot and cold spots, this indicates poor air circulation. Our technician can adjust the airflow to ensure every room gets adequate ventilation.
An HVAC company can also help boost ventilation by adjusting air intake, exhaust outlets, and vent dampers. Clean air ducts can remove allergens, dust, pollutants, and other irritants. Improved ventilation leads to better air quality, allowing your family to breathe easier. Additionally, regular maintenance helps your system run more efficiently, which can save you money on energy bills.
Air Duct Sealing
We recommend using Aeroseal duct sealing to make your home more comfortable and energy-efficient. This innovative technology works by sealing leaks from the inside. It injects a safe, water-based polymer into your ductwork. The particles stick to the edges of the leaks, gradually building up until the gaps are closed. Aeroseal can reach places that traditional sealing methods can’t. This reduces energy waste, improves airflow, and enhances indoor air quality. It’s a fast and effective solution that provides long-lasting results.
Whole-House Humidifier and Whole-House Dehumidifier
Regulating humidity in your home can make a big difference in air quality. Having us install a whole-home dehumidifier removes excess moisture, which helps reduce mold, mildew, and dust mites—things that can trigger allergies and breathing problems. On the other hand, when one of our technicians installs a whole-home humidifier, it adds moisture during dry times, helping to avoid dry skin, sore throats, and damaged wood furniture. Together, these systems maintain humidity at just the right level throughout the year, making your home more comfortable and reducing stress on your HVAC system. This also helps to keep the air in your home healthier and cleaner.
IAQ Testing
We perform IAQ testing to find pollutants such as mold, dust, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This testing helps us pinpoint sources of poor air quality, enabling us to suggest solutions like air purifiers, humidity control, and improved filters to create healthier indoor environments.
6. Consider Having a Whole-Home Ventilation Installed
A great way to improve the airflow in your home is by upgrading to a whole-home ventilation system. This type of system pulls in fresh air from outside while removing stale air, which helps keep your indoor air clean. When choosing the right whole-home system for your space, consider the typical humidity level in your area.
Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV)
This system helps move air and moisture, making it an excellent choice for areas with high humidity. It effectively balances the humidity in your home, keeping you and your family comfortable throughout the year.
Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV)
This system is designed specifically for heat transfer. It works best in colder climates with low humidity. It’s an effective way to ventilate your air while conserving heat.
Signs of Poor Ventilation
If your home has poor ventilation, you may notice several warning signs. While these signs might seem like minor annoyances, they actually point to a bigger issue that can be easily addressed.
Signs of poor ventilation:
- Unpleasant smells
- High indoor humidity
- Low air quality
- Excess condensation
- Stuffy living space
- Dust on furniture
- Mold growth
At Kalins Indoor Comfort, we are a family-owned business that has proudly served the Sioux City, Vermillion, and Yankton communities for over 100 years. We know how essential your comfort is, and we strive to provide repairs, maintenance, and installations that keep you coming back. We treat our customers like family, offering honest and reliable solutions for all your heating, air conditioning, and ventilation needs. Be sure to ask us about our Kalins Comfort Club for expert maintenance!
If you have any heating or cooling concerns, call us today to schedule a consultation with one of our professional HVAC technicians.
