Winters in Portland, OR have been cold lately, and while we’re still enjoying the moderately mild temperatures of fall, that thermostat is bound to start dropping soon. Keeping your heater serviced and maintained is the ideal way to ensure your home enjoys comfortable temperatures all winter. But temperature isn’t the only factor in determining household comfort levels. Indoor air quality plays a vital role as well. A number of issues unrelated (or at best tangentially related) to your heating system can crop up, and now is the time to prepare for them. Here are a few indoor air quality issues to watch for this winter, as well as some effective ways to combat them.
Low Humidity
Cold weather tends to leech moisture out of the air, as the vaporized water coalesces and vanishes. You’ll likely find yourself with dry skin, chap lips and an excess of static electricity in your home on the coldest days. A whole-house humidifier can help with that issue: sending vaporized water through your heating system and ensuring that “warm” doesn’t translate to “uncomfortably dry.”
High Amounts of Dust
If you haven’t had your heater serviced in a while, it’s likely developed a healthy coat of dust over the summer. When you turn it on, that dust will likely blow through your vents, creating irritation in your sinuses and lowering the quality of your air in the press. A maintenance session on your heater can clean off that dirt, while a whole-house air cleaner can deal with the problem on a long-term basis.
Germs
Pollen, mold and other contaminants are unfortunate staples of life here in Portland, and if you’re not careful, they can infest your home and make you and your family sick. A UV air purifier will cleanse your air passages of germs and help keep your household healthy.
For all of these improvements to indoor air quality, trust Clean Air Act, Inc. to do the job right!