We all want a nice airtight house to keep out the winter cold and the summer heat right? Yes, but the choice isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Tight homes can mean problems with adequate home ventilation, and without proper ventilation you can end up with indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. Here’s the key thing Climate Control Company wants you to remember, house ventilation options don’t have to come at the expense of having an airtight and energy efficient house.
There are some common sense ways to approach the problem. When the climate allows, it’s a good idea to bring outside air into the home by simply opening windows. The ventilation will improve your indoor air quality by diluting or removing indoor air pollutants. Clearly, this is not the way to go during a Colorado Western Slope winter when the temperature is often well below freezing, if not below zero.
The key to providing home ventilation in an airtight home should start with the design process, and when you choose Climate Control for your new home or remodeling project we will make sure there is enough home ventilation to assure good indoor air quality. If that ship has sailed, we can still help you get around the problem. Another way to get ventilation in an airtight home is with heat recovery ventilators (HRV) from Lennox. HRVs draw in outside air, but conditions it to the temperature of the house. In other words, you are getting fresh air, but it’s not changing the air temperature inside the home. Although moisture in the air is not generally a problem in our climate, an HRV can also help control humidity levels.
Why is ventilation so important? Many people don’t realize there are many sources of air pollution inside their homes. For example, there are volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. They can come from upholstery, carpet, paints, and cabinets. Over time, they can cause headaches and dizziness depending on how sensitive a person is. Your home can also be filled with biological agents like mold, spores, and dust mites.
The bottom line is if you find yourself suffering from symptoms like sore throats, coughing, sneezing, headaches, and the symptoms disappear when you’re away from home, chances are you have problems with poor indoor air quality. Call Climate Control Company, your heating and air conditioning authority for Aspen and the entire Western Slope to help. Let us show you how to improve the ventilation in your home without compromising energy efficiency. Like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to receive our latest offers and get more information like this.
