A&E Plumbing, Heating and Air Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category

How Whole House Air Purification Systems Help Your Family

Monday, July 24th, 2023

The air you breathe is pretty important. When it’s filled with dust particles, dander, dust, and household chemicals that get into the air, it compounds and negatively impacts your health.

If you monitored your indoor air quality for even a single day, you’d think the meter was broken. That’s because so many homes have terrible indoor air quality, and it’s not your fault–it’s simply what happens when you have people spending 8+ hours a day, every day, in a confined space.

Installing a whole house air filtration in Hood River is how you fight back against poor indoor air quality. We’re going to cover some major reasons that it helps your overall quality of life for you and your family.

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Benefits of Using a Humidifier in Your Home

Tuesday, December 13th, 2022

If you don’t have a humidifier in your Hood River home, then you may not be aware of just how useful these devices can truly be. Humidifiers are particularly handy in the winter but can be helpful during any season because they offer a significant number of benefits, including providing better indoor air quality (IAQ) for your Oregon home. 

What Are the Advantages of Using Humidifiers?

If you are ready for a whole-house humidifier and want to know how great these products really are, our AEH A & E Plumbing, Heating, and Air, Inc heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) specialists are here to support you. 

Here are some of the benefits you could experience:

Moistens the air: Winter is the season for wearing extra layers because this time of year can certainly leave you shivering!

When it’s cold out, we all tend to stay indoors more, which can make you more susceptible to the common cold, congestion, and allergies due to a lack of fresh air and ventilation. If you find yourself struggling with these health issues, you may want to consider using a humidifier inside your Hood River home to help ease some of your symptoms—like coughing, sore throat, and stuffiness.

A humidifier will also maintain appropriate levels of humidity in your home, which is important because although your furnace provides heat, it can cause the air in your home to become overly dry as well.

Contributes to better quality of sleep: According to the Sleep Foundation, dry air can aggravate upper respiratory issues, which could cause you to have a hard time falling asleep. However, if you use a humidifier in your Hood River home at night, you could improve the quality of your sleep.

Since humidifiers provide moisture in the air, your throat and sinuses will be kept hydrated. This should alleviate any stuffiness as well as promote relaxation, which work together so you can get to sleep and stay asleep. 

Protects your home: While a furnace can keep you warm during a cold winter night, it can also have a negative impact on your wood floors, doors, and furniture as a result of reduced indoor humidity. Dry air could cause these items to become brittle and crack. 

A humidifier helps ensure your Oregon home will have the proper amount of humidity to prevent damage to beloved household items and materials.

Moisturizes your skin: You may notice you have chapped lips and hands more often in the winter than during any other season. This is because cold weather can cause your skin to become dry. Installing a whole-house humidifier can cause more moisture to reach the air in your home, which should prevent your skin from getting dry and flaky.

Too Much of a Good Thing

While using a humidifier can help provide moisture in the air and offer significant benefits, it’s important to understand humidifiers should be used to balance humidity. Try not to overdo it, as too much humidity can have negative consequences for your home, including mold and mildew growth.

To keep the humidity at the right levels in your Hood River home, be sure to use a hygrometer, which can be found at many hardware stores. According to the Mayo Clinic, the ideal humidity level for a home is between 30 and 50 percent.

AEH A & E Plumbing, Heating, and Air, Inc Humidifier Professionals Can Help

If you want to improve the humidity level of your Hood River, OR home or would like to discuss other indoor air quality options, reach out to our AEH A & E Plumbing, Heating, and Air, Inc humidifier experts today. Our team wants you to be happy and healthy during each season of the year, so call 541-387-3311 or request service online so we can assist!

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Why Is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Important?

Monday, September 12th, 2022

Energy-efficient homes are more common than ever. Although they provide many benefits, including reducing overall energy usage and a smaller carbon footprint, they come with some disadvantages as well. 

What Disadvantages?

The most significant disadvantage is poor indoor air quality. Tightly sealed The Dalles area homes prevent heated and cooled air from escaping as easily, but they also contribute to the buildup of indoor air pollutants.

Since most people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, this can be a significant problem if the air inside your Oregon home is two to five times more polluted than outside air, which is common. Our A&E Plumbing, Heating & Air team wants to help you understand the risks of indoor air pollution as well as steps you can take to reduce it. 

Negative Effects 

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air pollutants can contribute to a host of short- and long-term effects. Because typical symptoms can be mistaken for allergies, an illness, stress, or many other causes, it’s easy to overlook indoor air quality as a main culprit.

Possible short-term effects and resulting symptoms of indoor air pollution include coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, sore throat, and respiratory congestion. In addition, poor indoor air quality can make some existing illnesses worse. 

For instance, if you suffer from asthma, heart disease, chronic lung illness, or other infections, indoor air pollution may exacerbate your symptoms.

Certain indoor air pollutants can cause additional serious illnesses or even death. Secondhand smoke and radon cause lung cancer, and carbon monoxide poisoning can silently kill unaware residents.

Common Indoor Air Pollutants

Daily living contributes to a great deal of indoor air pollutants. Dust, dirt, pollen, and mold are common in just about every home. In addition, pet dander and hair, smoke, and chemicals from common cleaning products can contribute more gas and particles to the indoor air. During cold and flu season, you may add bacteria and viruses to the mix.

If your home has inadequate ventilation, you won’t be able to sufficiently exchange outside and inside air regularly, which can lead to buildup of indoor air pollutants. Failing to maintain your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a suitable manner can also lead to indoor air problems. 

For example, a clogged air filter can no longer trap more particles as they move through your system. An antiquated HVAC system can also introduce further serious problems like incomplete combustion and gas leaks.

Solutions to Improve Air Quality

As a homeowner, it’s understandable to be concerned about your indoor air quality. You can take several steps to improve your air quality right now.

First, replace and maintain the air filters in your HVAC system regularly. If you have family members who suffer from allergies or asthma, consider using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that can remove very small particles which often trigger reactions.

Second, have an HVAC professional clean, inspect, and tune up your heating and cooling equipment twice a year. Our trained technicians at A&E Plumbing, Heating & Air will ensure no dangerous gas leaks exist and all your fuel-burning appliances have adequate ventilation. We will also provide safety checks on all your equipment.

Be sure you take extra precautions when you are cleaning with chemicals or embark on home improvement projects such as construction or painting. Your working area should be well ventilated during and immediately after the work is completed.

Consider investing in a humidifier and/or dehumidifier to help keep your home at an optimal humidity level. This will help discourage mold growth and keep your home more comfortable in all seasons. Be sure to clean this equipment according to the manufacturers’ recommendations to prevent buildup of pathogens and to keep your warranty intact.

If you’re a smoker, take your habit outdoors to prevent secondhand smoke buildup inside, and be sure to test for radon in your basement every two to five years. Install a carbon monoxide detector on every floor of your home, and don’t try to remove asbestos yourself.

Finally, keep your home clean using a HEPA vacuum and wash your bedding, curtains, and other household items regularly.

We Are Your Indoor Air Quality Experts

Our professionals here at A&E Plumbing, Heating & Air in The Dalles, OR, can help you address indoor air quality problems in your home. Our team can help you keep your HVAC system well maintained as well as provide suggestions about air filters or air purifiers. Call at 541-296-0701 or request service online.

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Why Do I Need a Humidifier in the Fall?

Wednesday, October 13th, 2021

In many places, evidence of fall’s presence is obvious by way of beautiful fall colors. But many only experience fall with its subtlety through lower humidity levels.

No matter which way you experience it, one thing is evident in them all––fall brings drier air. The cooler air simply can’t hold as much moisture as warm air, resulting in the dry air. While it can make for crisp mornings for walking, the lack of moisture in the air can also take its toll on you, your home, and your overall comfort.

That’s why we at A&E Heating & Air recommend a humidifier for your home, especially for the cooler months. It helps to maintain the necessary humidity in you’re The Dalles home, making everything, including you, run as it should.

Which Type of Humidifier?

There are several types of humidifiers out there, but essentially they boil down to either a whole-house humidifier or a portable humidifier. The whole-house humidifier attaches to your furnace and the fan blows across the humidifier pad, which is hooked up to a water supply, sending the moisture throughout your home via the ducts. This type of humidifier benefits your whole house at once.

A portable humidifier is exactly that. It’s a smaller humidifier that’s portable—you can put it exactly where you need it in a room. It benefits one area at a time. At A&E Heating & Air, we prefer a whole-house humidifier as the benefits are more comprehensive at once. But we encourage you to call and speak with one of our professionals to assess which type would work best for you and your home.

Protecting Yourself

The ideal humidity level for a home is between 30 and 50 percent. When and if your Oregon  home’s humidity drops below 30 percent, you’ll definitely have noticeable issues, especially when it comes to your body. It’s best to monitor your home’s humidity level to protect yourself.

Some of the most prevalent negative issues have to do with your breathing and skin. Lower humidity levels affect your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). With decreased indoor air quality, if you or anyone in your home suffers from allergies or asthma, you’ll notice more breathing problems. According to the Mayo Clinic, humidifiers may help ease breathing problems for those with allergies or asthma, especially children.

Also, though many people think the increase in spreading of germs and bacteria through the cooler weather is due to the lower temperatures, the cause is actually more-susceptible body membranes. Germs and bacteria actually spread less in cooler weather because there’s less moisture in the air in which for them to travel. But due to that same lack of moisture, the body’s membranes are drier and crack, thus making them more receptive to these alien body invaders.

With proper home air humidity, you’ll suffer less bouts of colds, flu, and viruses in general. Your skin will also be properly hydrated, resulting in less dry, cracked skin and the issues that can result.

Protecting Your Home

Just like your body, your home’s contents need protecting from the fall’s lower humidity. Your furniture, especially your wood furniture, needs a certain level of moisture to maintain its beauty and proper function.

With drier air, wood furniture will dry out and crack. You may notice your home’s woodwork and trim cracking or separating from your walls, ceilings, or floors. This could be due to lower humidity.

The same issue can affect your home’s systems and electronics. To run smoothly and properly, certain air conditions need to be met. Too dry of air can sometimes be as damaging as too moist of air.

Increasing Your Comfort

Along with protecting you and your home, humidifiers simply add to the overall comfort in your home. Humidifiers help you sleep better at night. Have you ever woken up with a nosebleed, dry throat, or a cough? These are all symptoms of dry air. The too-low humidity dries out your nasal passages while you’re sleeping, causing interruptions in your night’s sleep. Putting the humidity where it needs to be will allow you a comfortable night’s sleep, making your day that much better.

Another way a humidifier can increase your comfort at home is eliminating static electricity. Getting a small zap, known as electrostatic discharge (ESD), every time you touch something in your home can be unpleasant and annoying. But did you know it can also cause damage to your home’s electronics? Again, a home humidifier can take care of that uncomfortable issue as well.

Contact Us Today

Maintaining your home’s humidity is important for many reasons, especially as the weather shifts to cooler temperatures. While it definitely increases your home’s comfort, it has more far-reaching advantages—protecting both you and your home.  If you don’t currently have a humidifier in your home, or if you do and are still noticing any of the issues described above, call 541-296-0701 or request service online and speak with one of our A&E Heating & Air professionals today. We want to help you make you’re the Dalles, OR, home the best it can be.

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Why Is a Home Dehumidifier Important?

Monday, August 9th, 2021

Although most Hood River homeowners understand the importance of having a working heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to provide heating and cooling throughout the year, some people don’t realize the equally important factor of controlling a home’s humidity levels as well. 

Our professionals at A&E Heating & Air want to provide you with the information to create a healthy, comfortable environment for you and your family. Here is some important information about dehumidifiers and the role they play in your home’s health and comfort.

What Is a Dehumidifier?

A dehumidifier is a piece of equipment that removes moisture from the surrounding air. It works opposite of a humidifier, which adds moisture to the air. Dehumidifiers are often used in humid climates during the summer months in areas where weather turns both hot and humid, or year-round in humid areas of a home like a basement.

These systems work similar to air conditioners by pulling in warm, moist air throughout your home using the ductwork. This air then passes over coils that contain coolant, which forces the moisture to condense on the coil and then fall into a container. Room dehumidifiers may need to be emptied occasionally, or you can attach a drainage tube to allow the unit to constantly drain.

What Are the Benefits of a Dehumidifier?

By removing the moisture from your Oregon home, you’ll not only make your home feel cooler and more comfortable, but you’ll also create an environment that is less likely to allow things like dust mites, mold spores, and other allergens to thrive. For both your and your home’s health, you want to strive for the highest indoor air quality possible.

According to ENERGY STAR®, the ideal humidity levels for a residential home generally falls between 30 and 50 percent. However, the range can vary depending on the outside temperatures. You may want to invest in a communicating thermostat that senses humidity to continually monitor the humidity levels in your home and control it accordingly.

Another thing to remember is that new and remodeled homes may be more likely to trap moisture due to advances in insulation and building practices, creating much tighter homes. Although creating a tight home helps it to be more energy efficient, it can result in indoor air quality issues.

What Are Signs You Need a Dehumidifier?

You may be able to notice signs around your home that indicate your indoor moisture levels are too high. Here are some things to watch for:

Condensation on your windows or doors. If you see small drops of water beading or a fog layer building up on the inside of your windows, you may have a humidity problem. This moisture could eventually rot the wood around your windows or allow mold to grow.

Mold growth. Check your basement ceilings and the corners of your walls for mold growth. Moisture rises, so you will often see the first evidence of mold in these areas.

Musty odor. If you detect a musty smell in your basement, crawl space, laundry room, entrances, or garage, you may be fighting a moisture issue.

Basement watermarks. Many homes may have reoccurring spring water runoff, which can seep into a basement. Look for white or grey water-level marks as evidence of this problem.

Blistering paint or peeling wallpaper. Excess moisture in the air can eventually penetrate the surrounding walls. It becomes steam and can cause your paint and wallpaper to lose adhesion, resulting in bubbles or peeling.

Creaky doors, windows, and floors. As wood absorbs moisture, it will expand. This can cause joints, screws, and the structural frame of your home to loosen and creak.

Contact Your Indoor Air Quality Experts

If you’re concerned about humidity levels in your home, turn to A&E Heating & Air in Hood River, OR, for help. We can test humidity levels as well as recommend home hygrometers and dehumidifiers to assist you in managing the problem before it causes long-term, expensive damage. Call 541-387-3311 or request service online today.

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What Are Zone Control Systems?

Sunday, February 28th, 2021

Some like it hot!

Others, not so much.

If you have a large home with multiple stories or a large household with family members who prefer different temperatures, consider installing a zone control system.

A zone control system—or zoning—only provides the necessary cooling or heating that each zone in your Oregon home needs at the time. It not only adds to the comfort level of your home but can also lower your energy bills.

At A&E Heating & Air, we always look for ways to improve the comfort, health, and safety of homes and businesses in Hood River and surrounding areas. Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is a significant purchase—a big part of our job is to help ensure you get the maximum value from this investment.

How Do Zone Control Systems Work?

To create a zone control system, our experts will place dampers in the ductwork that distributes hot or cold air throughout your Hood River home. Each zone you create  is equipped with a thermostat that connects to a central control panel. When you adjust the thermostats in each zone, the control panel opens or closes dampers to distribute hot or cold air where needed.

Working with our team, you create the size and location of each zone throughout your home or business. You can turn one room into a zone, or an entire floor. The zones should be areas that either have different temperature requirements or have specific areas that have had trouble maintaining temperature compared to the rest of a zone. 

Whatever you decide, you can count on A&E Heating & Air to help you achieve the most comfort in your home that comes with a zone control system.

Zoning Options

Installing a zone control is a money saver since it lessens the load on your HVAC system. Your furnace or air conditioner no longer has to struggle to heat or cool every room in your home. Here are some ideal zoning situations:

  • Homes with rooms that are hardly used
  • Home with concrete slab foundations, large windows, or high ceilings
  • Finished rooms in the attic or basement
  • Homes with multiple floors or intricate floor plans

Reducing the stress on your HVAC equipment extends the service life of your entire system. It also lowers your monthly utility bills. According to the US Department Department of Energy (DOE), heating and cooling your home accounts for upwards of 40 percent of your energy costs.

How do I know if I need a zone system?

Most homes can benefit from a zone control system. If your home has any areas that are uncomfortable compared to the rest of the home or you have different temperature requirements throughout your home, this system may help.

Larger homes with multiple systems also see huge benefits from a zone control system because there is no reason to heat or cool the home to a comfort level when some areas are not being used. Only maintaining a comfort level in occupied rooms can generate huge energy savings.

Many programable thermostats also have WiFi features so you can monitor and adjust the heating or cooling in the home; only the necessary energy is being used when no one is at home, or when people are only using certain rooms at certain times of the day.

These are significant utility savings that can occur while also increasing your home comfort!  You will save money and make everyone in your home happy!

What If I Close Off Vents?

Our customers will occasionally ask if they can achieve the same result simply by adjusting the slats on the air vent covers. The answer is no.

Closing or partially opening a vent restricts the amount of air that exits the ductwork—but does not cause an air conditioner or furnace to produce less cold or hot air. By comparison, the zone control system not only redistributes airflow by operating dampers but also controls your HVAC equipment, signaling it when to run and when to stop. This eliminates unnecessary energy expenses.

Using air vents as a substitute for zone control may also contribute to air leakage and low airflow, among other problems. Those adjustable slats over air vents are designed to direct the flow of air into a room, not block it entirely.

Call Your Zone Control Experts Today!

Schedule an appointment today to learn if a zoning system can benefit your Hood River, OR, business or home. At A&E Heating & Air, we take great pride in building longterm relationships with our customers. We want to earn the chance to be your trusted source for all your heating and cooling needs. Call 541-387-3311 or request service online today to learn more about zone control systems and other services.

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Video – Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Family’s Health

Thursday, October 22nd, 2020

Air quality in your home is important to your family’s health. Having the right humidity levels, changing your filters regularly and installing air-cleaning or filtration systems like UV lights and air scrubbers are some of the ways you can affect the air quality in your home.

A&E Heating and Air

2149 Cascade Suite 106A 114

Hood River, OR 97031

541-387-3311

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What Accessories Can Help With My Indoor Air Quality?

Thursday, October 15th, 2020

In modern society, average adults spend nearly all their time indoors at work or at home. In fact the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports this amount of time reaches upwards of 90 percent for most people. That puts the importance of good indoor air quality at a whole new level. 

Our A&E Heating & Air team wants to give you a comprehensive list of the different indoor air quality accessories available today. Investing in one or more of these technologies and tools will help you and your family breathe a little easier.

Humidifiers

Stand-alone or whole-house humidifiers can be particularly helpful in Oregon winters when the air is cold and dry. Bringing relative humidity levels back up to an ideal of about 45 percent means less static electricity, dry skin, and scratchy throats. In addition, humidifiers can help protect your wood floors, furniture, and musical instruments from warping, shrinking, and other damage.

Dehumidifiers

Fast-forward to summer, and you may find you have the opposite humidity problem in The Dalles. Summers can feel even hotter when humidity levels are higher. A well-maintained air conditioning system can help ensure some moisture is taken out of the air along with the heat. 

However, some homeowners may want to invest in a whole-house dehumidifier or a stand-alone unit for space like a basement. Too much moisture in the air can make cooling down harder, contribute to mold and other allergen growth, and cause condensation or moisture damage to the structure of your home.

Air Filters

All heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) systems require an air filter to catch large particles before your indoor air enters your furnace or air conditioning system. Filters range in quality and price, with the most inexpensive filters trapping only large particles and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters catching some of the smallest. 

It’s important to change your air filter regularly, at least every three to six months or according to the manufacturer’s instructions, to keep your air cleaner and your equipment working efficiently.

UV Air Treatment Systems

Ultraviolet (UV) lights have traditionally been used in hospitals and other health care facilities to kill bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Today homeowners can piggyback on this technology by investing in UV home air treatment systems to do the same. Air is forced through a UV purifier, which uses shortwave UV light to kill mold, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.

HEPA Air Purifiers and Filters

Air purifiers, as well as air filters with the HEPA designation, remove 99.7 percent of all particles that measure greater than 0.2 microns. This includes household dust, pet dander, mold spores, pollen, and many other airborne particles. It’s important to change HEPA filters regularly. When you combine HEPA filters with HEPA purifiers and HEPA vacuum bags, you will make a big improvement in your indoor air.

Activated Carbon

Activated carbon purifiers are perfect for removing odors, gases, smoke, chemicals, and other fumes from the air. Many of these work in combination with a HEPA purifier to tackle most indoor air pollutants. Add in a UV purifier, and you’ll be successfully managing nearly all of the most common indoor air issues in your home.

Ionic Air Purifiers

Able to remove just about anything except smoke and odors, ionic air purifiers are another option to improve indoor air. Earlier models of these systems simply emitted negative ions that bonded with positively charged common indoor air pollutants. These particles grew heavy and fell onto floors and surfaces to be cleaned through dusting and vacuuming. However, the most advanced ionic air purifiers can now clean themselves.

Electronic Air Cleaners

Attached to your HVAC system, electronic air cleaners are a whole-house solution. These use static electricity, a HEPA filter, and an ionic system to trap or kill up to 99.98 percent of all allergens. Essentially, these cleaners combine the best of all available indoor air purification technologies to do a nearly complete job.

Air-to-Air Exchangers

These systems are designed to bring in and treat outdoor air while pushing out the stale indoor air from your home. These exchangers will adjust the temperature and humidity of outdoor air before circulating it through your air duct system.

Air Scrubbers

A relatively new technology, air scrubbing systems work with your HVAC system. Air is forced through a titanium dioxide-coated component and is treated with a UV light. In addition, the scrubbing system transforms contaminants into oxidizers, which can eliminate more pathogens in the surrounding air and even on surfaces. Gases, vapors, odors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mold, viruses, and bacteria are among the substances eliminated.

A&E Heating & Air Is Your Indoor Air Quality Expert

For more details on any of these indoor air accessories, call A&E Heating & Air in The Dalles, OR. Our team of professionals would be happy to help you review and select the technologies that would best fit your home and budget. Call 541-296-0701 or request service online today.

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Video – Facts About Humidity

Wednesday, September 30th, 2020

Keep your home cool by learning about what causes humidity and the effects of it in your home. Call A&E Heating & Air at 541-387-3311 or contact us online to find out how our professionals can help today.

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How to Eliminate Dust in My Home

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020

Everyone has it, and nobody wants it. Dust.

It’s rampant everywhere around the country and has become the subject of a lighthearted, frequently repeated myth at both the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Officials at these agencies understand farming does not occur without creating dust. So the EPA and USDA “have never proposed tightening rules on farm dust. And they have told Congress and the American people that they won’t propose stricter standards.”

Regular Maintenance Will Help

In reality, dust is definitely no laughing matter, no matter the setting. It’s easy to see how it can affect the indoor air quality (IAQ) of your The Dalles home, leading to allergens. At A&E Heating and Air, we know how important clean indoor air quality is for your home.

With indoor air quality typically being dirtier than your outdoor air, you need to take measures to reduce factors contributing to the indoor pollution––both for your health and the health of your home.

Keep in mind, trying to completely eliminate or eradicate dust from your home is an impossible task. By the mere fact it’s virtually everywhere in Oregon, you can understand why it will always exist in your home. However, you can greatly reduce household dust levels by following some of the recommendations below.

Take Good Care of Your Air Filter

The purpose of the air filter for your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) setup is to trap dust and debris flowing through the unit’s air. Air in your home is vented through your HVAC system and forced through its filter. Using the best filter you can afford and recommended by your system’s manufacturer can trap a lot of the dust traveling through the air.

Pay attention to your filter’s Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV), a measurement scale created by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to rate the effectiveness of air filters. Be sure to purchase filters with the appropriate MERV rating for your HVAC system.

You also want to change your filter on a regular basis, depending on how dirty it becomes. Optimally, we recommend changing it every month but at least every two to three months, especially if you or someone in your home suffers from allergies, asthma, or chronic respiratory conditions.

A good rule of thumb is to check your filter monthly. If it’s dirty, change it. When your filter is clogged, besides hurting your HVAC system, it obviously can’t do its job of reducing the dust in your home.

Be Sure to Check Your Air Ducts

If you have a forced-air HVAC system, you have air ducts carrying your home’s air to and from your heating and cooling system. If your ducts are not sealed well or have leaks, unfiltered air will be sneaking out into your home. You could have as much as 30 percent leakage due to this poor sealing and leaks, meaning this air has not yet made it to your filter and will be spreading dust throughout your home.

It can be worse if your air ducts are filthy. Air passing through the ducts will pick up additional dust and dirt, depositing them throughout your home.

If you notice a continuous high level of dust in your home, call in one of our indoor air quality professionals to check the seals on your ducts and to inspect for leaks. Also seriously consider getting your ducts cleaned, especially if you have never done so in the past.

Clean Your Home Regularly

In addition to the numerous HVAC steps you can take to reduce dust, there are some things you can do while cleaning your house to help:

• Eliminate clutter, as it collects dust.

• Vacuum one to two times a week, using a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter if possible.

• Dust with a microfiber or damp cloth, starting the cleaning motion from top to bottom.

• Wash bedding routinely––sheets and pillowcases once a week; blankets, duvets, and pillows every three to four weeks.

• Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting, because it can be an ideal habitat for dust and dust mites.

Keep a Constant Tab on Your Humidity

Be sure your home has the appropriate level of humidity. Too high, it encourages dust mites. Too low, dust accumulates more. Try to maintain a relative humidity of 35 to 50 percent, an industry standard.

Get Yourself an Air Purifier

Though diminishing or eliminating the sources of your home’s dust is best, utilizing an air purifier can help. A whole-home air purifier works with your HVAC system to purify the air, ridding it of dust and other particles and allergens––the dust never makes it to your home’s living spaces.

A major benefit of a whole-home purifier, compared with small portable units, is it purifies all the air in your home at once. Portable units typically can only purify the air in one room. You would need a separate purifier in every room to achieve a similar result.

We Are Your Indoor Air Quality Experts

At A&E Heating and Air, we know dust can be a nuisance as well as an allergen. If you notice more-than-normal dust levels in your The Dalles, OR, home, please call us at 541-296-0701 or request service online and discover how our experienced professionals can help. We will be more than happy to pay a visit to your home—don’t let your home be another one that bites the dust.

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