There are many ways to improve your indoor air quality, including upgrading your filters in Bellevue, WA. The average person in Bellevue spends 90% of their day indoors, breathing recycled air. If that air doesn’t get cleaned along the way, it can mean a lot more pollution with every breath.
In some homes, you could be breathing in five times the number of pollutants compared to the air outside. And, you’re doing it for that vast majority of the day. Poor ventilation plays a big role in determining the level of pollution in the air, and high humidity can create a breeding ground for mold, mildew, and bacteria. Installing UV lights and other air scrubbers can return the air in your home to clean and clear.
Top Notch Filters in Bellevue
Every HVAC system has a filter, but not all filters are created equal. Often, the pleated filters that come with your air conditioner or furnace are not up to the task of filtering out smaller particles. These filters are mostly designed to reduce wear and tear on the HVAC system, not your lungs.
Upgrading the filter with a thicker, more powerful version can give you HEPA-like filtration without the need for a new system. However, installing filters that are MERV rated 11 or higher often requires professional expertise. You’ll need to have your unit retrofitted to work with these more efficient filters.
In areas like Bellevue where forest fires happen all too often, having a higher-rated filter is a good idea to keep out the smoke and other particles that could pop up during and after the fire. You’ll want to discuss the options and impact that a larger filter size could have on your HVAC unit with a professional before installation.
There are many reasons to consider upgrading your filters, including:
- You have pets and their dander to clean
- A smoker lives in your home
- You or your family have allergies or an upper respiratory illness
- You don’t want to smell like smoke
- You want to spend less time dusting
Improve Your Ventilation
The more often the air inside your home exchanges with the air outside, the more fresh air you get in your home. While you can open the windows for several minutes at a time, airing out your house isn’t always practical, particularly on very hot or cold days.
When you have the furnace or air conditioner running, the last thing you want to do is open the windows, which is why a good ventilation system is a must. Installing ceiling fans is a great way to improve your interior ventilation, keeping the air in your home moving. Plus, ceiling fans can help reduce humidity which is a major contributor to mold and mildew intrusion.
How can you tell if your home has poor ventilation? Most often, you’ll see symptoms that go away when you leave, such as:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Watery, itchy eyes
- Congestion
- Rashes
- Sore throat
Get Cleaner Air in Bellevue with UV Lights
While good ventilation and an upgraded filter are great for reducing the level of pollution inside your home, what about things you bring in with you? A virus or bacterial infection can travel through the air and move from one person to the entire house. UV lights offer a great way to reduce that spread. UV lights kill bacteria and deactivate viruses so that one person with a cold doesn’t turn into the entire family with a cold.
UV lights also work on mold mildew, which can help your heating and cooling unit perform better. Fewer particles in the filter and less debris clogging the air ducts means that your system doesn’t need to work as hard to keep you comfortable. There are many benefits to installing a UV light system that works in tandem with your HVAC unit. When installed near your air intake, all of the air in your home gets sanitized before it’s pumped into every room.
if you have questions about filters, ventilation, or UV lights in Bellevue, contact Brennan Heating & Air Conditioning. Our indoor comfort experts will happily walk you through potential solutions to improve your indoor air quality.
