Good air circulation is important for more than just the overall temperature and comfort of your home. It can play a significant role in respiratory health, allergy control, even heading off the growth of mold and bacteria. Here are 10 tips for improving the airflow in the rooms of your home:
Open Your Doors and Windows:
First, the most obvious tip: Whenever possible, open the windows, screen doors, or sliding-glass doors throughout your home to get fresh air circulating throughout.
Keep Your Vents and Registers Unblocked:
Openings in your wall that bring air into the home should be cleared of any dust or debris that impede the flow of air. A vacuum cleaner, stiff-bristled brush, and ordinary cloths or paper towels help clean up air vents and registers. More committed home maintainers may keep a screwdriver handy if things get serious.
Keep Your Ducts Clean:
Behind those vents and registers, of course, lies the main passageway of airflow in your home. Normal maintenance of your vents and registers, including air filter replacement, should go a long way toward keeping a clean duct. Occasionally they may develop growths inside that might need a little more in-depth cleaning—if that happens, call a professional.
Turn On Your Ceiling Fans
Those big-bladed machines bolted to your ceiling were invented to simulate breezes and circulate air throughout your home in all seasons. Running the fan counter-clockwise in summer circulates cooler air through the house; reversing the direction of the sucks up frigid air during winter.
Install A Fan In Your Attic
Many homeowners ignore the ventilation needs of their attic simply because they don’t spend a lot of time in them. But hot air travels upward and gets trapped in your home’s uppermost area. Installing a ceiling fan or attic fan can have a positive effect on air circulation throughout your entire home.
Change Your Air Filters
Clogged air filters don’t just restrict the flow of contaminant-free air throughout your home: they’re also the #1 cause of total HVAC system breakdowns. Air filters clean out harmful substances that travel through your air vents—including mold, bacteria, pollen, dust, and fungal spores—and like any filtration system, they have their limits. Replace your air filter at least once
Limit Use of Your Gas Stove
Emissions from natural gas stoves can seriously affect the breathability of the air in your home and affect respiration. Of course, you have to eat, so if it’s not feasible to replace your gas stove with an electric equivalent, try to keep a close cap on how often you use it. Turn the burners at once when you’re done.
Install an Exhaust Fan
Typical fans bring air and moisture into whatever places they’re situated in. Exhaust fans do the opposite: They draw odors, moisture, fumes, and stale air of the space, exiting the home. This improves the quality of the air being circulated throughout the house.
Rearrange Your Furniture
The loveseat may look perfect against your living room wall—but it could also be messing with your air circulation if it’s positioned close to or in front of a vent. It’s always good to allow for at least a foot and a half of space around air vents for maximum air circulation. If you notice a lot of stuffiness in a room with big furniture items, consider moving them around to keep air vents obstruction-free.
Buy A Ventilator
A free-standing air ventilation device can also solve your home’s most pressure circulation problems. A ventilator switches old indoor air with fresh air from the outside. It can also control the presence of stale odors, chemical vapors, and natural gases in your home.