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During the summer months when you’re stuck inside because it’s too hot outdoors, you’ll appreciate having clean, cool air in your home. If you’re already going to be indoors, spend some time to make sure you’re more comfortable. Here are a few upgrades, additions and chores you can do to improve the quality of your indoor air:
Fans – add a fan or replace your old one. Installation is an easy project. Newer fans are far more energy efficient and they can even improve the look and feel of a room. If you intend to buy a fan, here are some things to look for:
(i) Look for a fan that uses fewer watts per cubic foot of air.
• Older fans use up to 60 to 70 watts per cubic foot of air.
(ii) Look for a fan with five blades, as they are more efficient.
• Newer models are pitched in a way that they create a vacuum as they spin, which makes them able to run using less electricity.
Raising your thermostat by three to four degrees while having your fan on won’t make the room any less comfortable as far as temperature, but you’ll notice a difference in your electrical bill.
Windows – upgrade your drapes, blinds, and sunscreens. Over time the sun will fade and ruin your drapes and blinds, so updating them might not be enough. If you don’t already have them, invest in sunscreens especially for windows that are in direct sunlight for a good portion of the day. Sunscreens are easily installed on the inside of your windows under your drapes or blinds. You can even invest in honeycomb shades that have double cells. They’re also easy to install and they come in a variety of colors.
Air-conditioning – hire a professional to check your air-conditioning and duct work for blockage and leaks. Have them check your dryer exhaust duct to ensure that it’s operating properly. Have them clean your air conditioner coils and handler. Here are some other tips concerning air-conditioners:
(i) Throw away your fiberglass air-conditioner filter and upgrade to pleated filter with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 8 rating, which will help keep your air clean by removing much smaller particles from the air than your fiberglass filter ever could.
(ii) Filters don’t last long in the summer months with all the dust in the air, so make sure you change your filter every month, even if the manufacturer says it can go two to three months without being changed.
(iii) If you’re using a reusable electrostatic filter, clean it often. If you don’t clean in, it won’t matter how expensive it is, it won’t work properly.
See more:
EPA Indoor Air Quality
Indoor Air Quality Association
American Indoor Air Quality Council
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Thanks for the article. The ravages of the natural elements can cause havoc to all furnishings, especially window blinds that are in the most direct sunlight. There are several treatments that can prevent deterioration such as UV protection..
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Thanks for the tips! Geothermal air conditioning is one way to cool your home (or business) while still thinking of the environment. The energy savings are 50% or more and you can receive a tax credit for up to 30% when purchasing one.
Good tips about furnace filters. Fiberglass filters are practically useless and do little to remove dust and allergens from the air. When using efficient pleated furnace filters it is important to change them often.
Neglecting your air filter is one of the most common reasons for evaporator coils icing up which results in service calls. It also results in increased operating costs due to decreased operating efficiency.
Another really good product for purifying air inside homes is an ionic air purifier. The one that is advertised heavily is the ‘ionic breeze’ but there are lots of other models. They silently attract particles out of the air and trap them against an electrostatic filter. You need to remove the filter grate every once and a while and rinse it off, so it is a bit of a pain, but it really works. The filter grate gets packed with dust, mold spores, pollen, and all kinds of particles. Wipe it down and the rag is black. Yuck. People with bad allergies swear that these electronic air purifiers solve their problem. I have one, and I believe the air inside my house in San Diego smells better when it’s turned on.
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Hi! And Many Thanks for the effective tips! Indeed use of Geothermal air conditioning is one way to cool your home (or business) while still thinking of the environment.
Excellent post – we’re replacing both of our HVAC units this fall, and I now have great info to discuss with my contractor.
Augusta GA Homes
Navy Chief, Navy Pride
Joe Loomer (USN Ret.)
Associate Leadership Council, Growth Chair
Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners
wow.. its really an excellent article with great tips.
“Throw away your fiberglass air-conditioner filter and upgrade to pleated filter with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 8 rating”
hhmm.. I need to think about that.
Fiberglass filters are really not very effective. I sometimes use them as pre-filters in commercial applications where there is a very heavy dust load. For example, I service a fitness center and they rely heavily on fresh air for cooling. They are on a main street in an industrial city. I do monthly filter changes and use fiberglass filters as a pre-filter and pleated air filters as the main air filter.
They are also useful for pet owners because they are great at removing fur that can block evaporator coils in air conditioning equipment. Fur can cause problems for many filter.
The only other time I would recommend them is in air conditioners that have undersized duct systems. They have very little impact on air flow and may be beneficial in some of those situations.
Well after I read this article all I can say is that if the ideas you talked about in the article is truly implemented , you can really expect to keep up your good employees and have them work out with much more energy.
NJ Duct Cleaning
Now that is an interesting about fiberglass filters and fur. I had not expected to see any case for using them.
.-= simon @ discount window blinds´s last blog ..Sarahs Practical Ideas To Abide By If Purchasing Arched Window Treatments =-.
I am not pretty convinced with the air purifiers, one of my friend from India suggested to keep sliced lemon in a bowl of water near the air conditioner and it will prevent foul smell of closed air. I am yet to try it but before that wanted to do a research on the web. I have heard people keeping them inside refrigerators, but not sure about large spaces.
.-= Mack@Las Vegas Real Estate´s last blog ..Commercial Real Estate Bubble =-.
Thanks for all the enthusiasm to offer such helpful information here.I think by implementing all your tips ,the air quality in our house will definitely improve. And hope this will result in less money spent on over the counter relief medicine and trips to the doctor. Still I am looking for more tips.
I never knew that the 5 bladed fans were more efficient I guess you learn something new everyday ! I second and third the air purifiers mentioned in the above comments and if you have a large house with several rooms they also make whole house air purifiers…which are really expensive but if you want clean air through out the house you have to pay the price !!
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I’m a HUGE believer in protecting my family against the short and long term effects of VOCs and indoor air pollution. Most people have no clue that simple changes can make a big difference. We use normal house hold plants such as Spider Plants throughout our home, have a HepaOne filter in the living room and replaced the regular CFLs in our children’s rooms with air cleaning WellnessLight Kids CFLs. Although nothing can beat opening a window!
I have 4 Eden Pure heaters. They work great and use less energy. The housing of the unit never gets hot. They also have filters that remove dust particles from the air.
Great tips for keeping the air in your home clean. The best part is that with cleaner air comes less dust and dirt. Great info, thanks!
The sliced lemon in a bowl water does work. In fact the lemon is useful for many odor reductions around the home. In considering the maintenance of ducts a regular program that includes dust collection is important for a long productive life cycle.
Thanks for all the great tips. One thing I’m looking into is a ceiling fan that opens up through the roof and blows the hot stale air out. I’ve seen a couple of them that work really well but they were custom built. I’m still trying to find them “off the shelf”..
Another great way to improve air quality is to eliminate mold in the home. It’s not an easy task, as all water leaks must be fixed and professionals need to be called to do testing and proper clean up.