As the seasons change in West Virginia, you may notice that the indoor air quality of your home has decreased. That’s because, in the fall, the sometimes constant switch between warm and cool weather can provide the conditions for poor air. Knowing what these conditions are and what effects they produce will help you prepare your home for the upcoming season.

Outdoor Contaminants

The increase of people commuting in cars when the weather begins to turn cold will introduce more contaminants and pollutants into the air. So naturally, these pollutants will find their way into your home, and if left unchecked, could present a gradual increase in health risk. This is especially true if you have a condition like asthma.

When the leaves begin to fall, particles from the outside that would usually circulate through your home typically don’t do so as well. That’s because the more particles your filter picks up, the more it can become clogged. Also, people tend to have open airways like doors and windows open during these times, making it harder for air to circulate through your home.

Issues With Humidity

Autumn makes for a difficult time with both the humidity and lack of moisture. When the temperatures turn cold, it can produce dry air that is bad for your skin. In addition, dry air will seek to gain moisture from the objects in your home. This could cause damage to your furniture as well as leave your loved ones more susceptible to colds and other viruses.

Similarly, too much humidity will make for a damp environment, also causing damage to your wood surfaces and furniture. In addition, mold and other fungi could also begin to grow in these environments. Because of this and other factors, it’s important to your respiratory health that you keep your humidity at an average level.

Fluctuating Temperatures

Managing the temperatures of your home is a big part of indoor air quality. However, the task of managing your temperature becomes increasingly difficult as you spend long hours away from your home because the morning could be cold and damp while the afternoon is hot and dry.

Maintaining a suitable temperature for air quality is especially difficult when using a manual thermostat. If you aren’t extremely careful, the insufficient heating and cooling rate could lower your indoor air quality. Luckily, this is an issue that isn’t too disastrous in the short term, but you will still face a drop in air quality.

Fixing Air Quality Issues

Luckily, despite the likely issues you will face with air quality this autumn, there are very reliable solutions. For example, investing in air scrubbers will help immensely. They put out negative ions that trap harmful particles and bring them back in. Air scrubbers neither require maintenance nor require any outside source to function. In addition, they also help cleanse surfaces of bacteria.

Filters are more common in homes, and their work is similar to air scrubbers. You have filters in your system that particles from getting through to your home. If you haven’t cleaned or replaced these filters in months, it’s likely that doing so would increase your air quality this fall. Also, you could invest in higher-rated filters that keep allergens from flowing through your house.

Air scrubbers and filters are passive solutions to air quality in comparison to purifiers. They work actively to trap particles and disperse clean air throughout your home. In addition, some purifiers can eliminate articles using special means like UV Light.

One of the best ways to ensure your indoor air quality meets the standard is regular maintenance on your HVAC systems. Doing so will help keep your efficiency in check and your airways clear. Other methods of producing good air quality in the fall include the use of dehumidifiers and humidifiers to help regulate the humidity in your home and upgrading to a smart thermostat to keep the temperature at a steady level.

Indoor Air Quality in Huntington

Located right of the Ohio River, [comany_name] truly loves providing quality care to the people of Huntington and the surrounding areas. Our expertise in heating, cooling, and indoor air quality is an achievement that we are proud of, and we dedicate our time to sharing it with the community. So, if you feel your indoor air quality has decreased throughout the year, call us today.

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