The kids will soon be going back to school. That means they’ll be exposed to germs from other kids and bring them home, possibly making your entire household sick in the fall and winter. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to minimize exposures to viruses and bacteria, including putting your HVAC system to work to improve your indoor air quality.
Here are some ways that fighting germs with HVAC systems will help you have a healthier fall and winter season.
Good Quality Air Filter
You will need a pretty dense air filter to catch the tiny viruses that cause colds and flu. In fact, most typical HVAC systems will not accommodate this type of filter, which would be rated MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) 17-20. Filters this dense would cause pressure drop unless the HVAC system is specifically redesigned to accommodate them. However, a good quality air filter, MERV 8-12, will catch a number of larger particles that might aggravate the breathing of individuals sick with colds, flu, asthma or other breathing problems.
Maintain a More Humid Home
Viruses thrive in homes with relative humidity above 60 percent. By maintaining humidity between 40-60 percent, you’re ensuring that more viruses will die before they infect people in your household. What’s more, there’s some evidence to suggest that the moist air helps suspend viruses on droplets, so that they are more likely to sink to the floor rather than be pulled into the HVAC return air and be distributed into the home.
Don’t allow your home’s air to dry out below 40 percent. Dry air can lead to cracking of mucus membranes and easier transmission of viruses in the irritated passages of the nose and throat. Regulate humidity by keeping a hygrometer (to track humidity levels) and adding a humidifier, either whole home, which is installed in the HVAC system (it’s more effective and efficient than a portable) or portable (prepare to keep filling and moving his type of humidifier around from room to room.)
For more on fighting germs with HVAC systems, contact Ace Hardware Home Services.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
