How to Improve Winter Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

Young couple relaxes in living room with ideal winter indoor air quality.

December in Wisconsin means even more time inside than normal. While you may be focused on staying warm, it’s also important to think about something else affecting your well-being: your winter indoor air quality. RJ Heating and Air Conditioning has some tips on how you can improve yours while staying comfortable all season long.

Is My Indoor Air Quality a Problem?

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is just as important as your heating and cooling systems, and for good reason. Poor winter IAQ can trigger allergies and asthma, prolong a cold, and wreak havoc on your eyes, nose, and throat. For children, the elderly, and those with preexisting conditions, air pollution is potentially even more harmful over time.

The problem is, indoor air is polluted by many daily things we might not even think twice about. Fireplaces, cleaners, furnaces—even furniture, cooking, and carpets contribute to indoor air pollution. And it’s the accumulation of these pollutant byproducts and VOCs that lead to health concerns.

Easy Ways to Freshen Your Indoor Air:

Whole-Home Humidifiers

If your main challenge is air that’s too dry, then your best bet is a whole-home humidifier. By balancing humidity in your home, these units provide numerous IAQ benefits, including:

  • Easier breathing
  • Reduced allergens
  • Moisturized skin and hair
  • Better protection from airborne viruses, colds, and the flu

And with a Wi-Fi thermostat, you can even control a whole-home humidifier from your smartphone on top of normal heating and cooling.

Air Cleaners

To eliminate excess dust, dirt, and other indoor contaminants, look to air cleaners and exchangers. These units swap out polluted indoor air for fresh, clean outdoor air. Homeowners with air cleaners and exchangers also experience significantly fewer odors, as these unit’s advanced HEPA filters capture more than 99 percent of allergens and particles that impact IAQ.

UV Lights

UV lights are another way to enhance your IAQ this winter and all year. Installed in your ducts, these units sterilize bacteria and viruses on the spot to prevent them from circulating throughout your home.

Replace Your Air Filter

The most practical and economical thing you can do to improve your winter indoor air quality at any time of the year is to replace your air filter regularly. While air filters can’t eliminate all the indoor air pollutants by themselves, they are still effective enough to make a noticeable difference.

For questions or quotes on any of the indoor air quality solutions mentioned, contact the Carrier® experts at RJ Heating and Air Conditioning today: 414-463-1140 or online.