Ventilation
Why is proper ventilation so important?
For something that is so important, most people don’t put a lot of thought into the air they breathe. Instead, we tend to take it for granted, especially here in Northwest Montana where we tend to think our air is pure and clean. But what about our indoor air? The air inside our homes and workplaces? We believe that because this air is inside, it’s free of the allergens and irritants that exist outside. We think of pollution as the smoggy haze above a metropolitan sky, or smoke billowing from a huge factory. So short of those few weeks in August when forest fires may smoke up our skies, we give it little thought. But did you know that indoor air quality can be as much as 100 times more polluted than outside air? It’s true! Because indoor air is typically recycled over and over, whatever is in the air tends to stay there unless it is filtered out.
About indoor air quality
The Environmental Protection Agency says that indoor air pollutants have been ranked among the top 5 environmental risks to public health. The average American breathes 3,400 gallons of air each day, making ambient air pollution a major environmental problem. According to the EPA, the major reasons for poor indoor air quality are:
The presence of indoor pollutants such as dust, allergans, mites, carbon dioxide, bacteria, chemicals, mold spores, household cleaners, asbestos, cigarette smoke, animal dander and more.
Buildings that were poorly planned when they were designed or renovated. Modern buildings are more efficient and tighter, which is good for energy consumption, but as a result they are less capable of allowing fresh air in.
Inadequate ventilation systems. A properly trained HVAC technician can help you choose a ventilation system that will remove most all of the harmful air pollutants in your home.
Why not just open the windows?
Well that is a great question, and on the days that you can by all means do! However, keeping our indoor air at an optimal level for health cannot rely on being able to open our windows and simply “let the fresh air in”. What about rainy days, the smoke filled days as a result of forest fires or other controlled burning? What if you live in an area where you are not comfortable leaving your windows open while you are away, or while you sleep?
Beyond solving the issues mentioned above, a properly installed ventilation system can also reduce dust in your home and keep odors from cooking and other activities from lingering embarrassingly in your home.
Ask us today what type of ventilation system is right for your home!
