3 Tips for Boosting Your Home's IAQ This Fall

The air inside your Abbeville home could be up to five times worse than the air outside. That’s a stat from the EPA, and it surprises a lot of folks. As the weather cools off this fall and you start closing up the house, you’ll be breathing that indoor air even more. Here are three things you can do right now to clean it up.

1. Increase Ventilation

Homes built within the past 20 years typically have tight building envelopes. While a tight building envelope reduces unwanted air leaks, it also keeps the stale, polluted and humid air inside your home. Consider installing mechanical ventilation, such as a whole-house fan or a heat or energy recovery ventilator.

2. Change Your Air Filter

Set a reminder on your phone or calendar to check your heating and cooling system’s air filter once each month. Don’t wait more than three months between filter replacements. Invest in an air filter with a minimum efficiency reported value (MERV) of 13 to 15. Filters with these MERV ratings capture 95% or more of particles, including dust and oil droplets. Consider purchasing new filters in bulk to save money.

3. Rethink What You Bring Into Your Home

Many of the items you use every day could be releasing contaminants into your home’s air. Plastics, adhesives, paints, cleaning products, cosmetics, solvents, pesticides, candles, fireplaces, and furniture may release volatile organic compounds. When you buy new products, such as plastic toys or a chair coated in a stain-resistant sealant, allow it to off-gas outdoors or in your garage for a few days. Choose low- or no-VOC items, including paints and hobby supplies. When using products that off-gas, use exhaust fans, and keep them on for 10 minutes after ceasing use of the item.

We’ve been helping Acadiana families breathe better since 1956, and indoor air quality is something we take seriously. If you want a professional assessment of your home’s air, or you’re interested in a whole-home solution like a dehumidifier or UV light system, call F & R Air Conditioning at (337) 893-5646.