New homes are more energy efficient than ever. While this is ideal for keeping your heating and cooling bills low, it’s bad for bringing adequate fresh air inside.
Recently constructed residences are firmly sealed, which shows they don’t “breathe” like older residences can. Subsequently, your house might appear to smell stale, feel too humid or experience troubles with condensation. If you have allergy or asthma sufferers in your family, they might experience increasing problems.
Thankfully, it’s not hard to enhance the ventilation in your home in Lexington. The majority of of the answers that we’ll talk about in a minute are uncomplicated and reasonably priced.
1. Open Windows and Screened Doors
This is the easiest method to get fresh air into your residence during pleasant temperatures. But it’s crucial to know this typically isn’t a year-round solution and can lead to problems if you have a family member with seasonal allergies. If this is the case, you’ll want to avoid opening windows during the early morning. That’s when the pollen counts are the greatest, according to Mayo Clinic. You also shouldn’t open them during dry, windy days, as the weather can irritate allergies.
2. Operate Exhaust Fans in Your Kitchen and Bathrooms
Running these fans eliminates stale air, excess moisture, odors and other things you don’t want in your house. They’re also inexpensive to operate. An exhaust fan costs about $7-$15 yearly in electricity if you were to keep it on 24/7, according to the Center for Energy and the Environment (CEE).
If you want to do this, the CEE advises looking for an ENERGY STAR® ventilation fan that provides nearly noiseless, constant operation. These fans typically are equipped with a sensor that will turn them on automatically when humidity is too elevated, so you won’t have to think about turning it on or off.
However, it’s essential to know that an exhaust fan can adversely influence your home’s temperature, since it’s getting rid of air that you’ve already heated or cooled.
3. Keep Your Residence’s Humidity in Check
The best humidity level for your house is between 30–50%, according to Mayo Clinic. While the right concentration of humidity won’t increase ventilation, it can enhance your home’s indoor air quality and keep your loved ones comfortable at a more energy-efficient setting.
If the humidity is too low, you might experience dry skin, a scratchy throat or itchy eyes. Dry air can also affect wood flooring and furnishings in your home, causing them to fracture. On the flip side, humidity that’s too great can make air appear stale or stuffy. It can also result in mold and mildew growth and irritate allergies or asthma.
The wisest way to keep humidity regulated is with a whole-home solution. We offer humidifiers and dehumidifiers that work with your HVAC system. There’s no need to carry an inefficient portable system around your home, spilling water as you move.
It’s also critical to be aware an accurate humidity amount can also make air more pleasant at an energy-efficient setting, helping you save more on utility bills.
4. Purchase a Ventilation System
Installing a mechanical ventilation system is one of the top approaches to bring in added fresh air into your residence all year. There are two different types—heat recovery ventilation (HRV) and energy recovery ventilation (ERV). These systems continually get rid of musty indoor air and replace it with fresh outdoor air.
HRV is good for chilly climates, since it keeps the heat from the indoor air it lets out. ERV is great for warm climates, because it removes warmth and moisture from your air. Some locations can benefit from both systems, so ask our James Heating & A/C, Inc ventilation experts about what’s ideal for your Lexington house.
If stuffy or ongoing odors are trouble in your house, you can also install a whole-house air purification system. These systems deliver an extra level of filtration, which can also provide support with decreasing pet dander, allergens and bacteria in your house.
Our ventilation experts are here to help you choose the ideal option for your house. Contact us at 336-853-6070 right away for a free, no-obligation home comfort assessment. We’ll look at your existing equipment and learn about your needs in advance of delivering our suggestions on the ideal possibilities to enhance ventilation in your house.