Some things belong in airtight containers, like coffee and a half-finished can of dog food. (I can taste the difference, believe me!) But most things need to have a bit of breathing room—and that includes your home.
If you’re starting to say, “But my home isn’t airtight! There’s doors and windows…”, don’t worry. I don’t mean airtight like your home is sealed up in a gigantic Ziploc bag. But you may be surprised to find out that the level of insulation on your home designed to make it as energy efficient as possible can also lead to poor indoor air quality, particularly in winter.
This is why the “V” in HVAC, which stands for ventilation, is so important. The proper ventilation for your house allows it to “breathe.” This provides many benefits:
- Moisture Control: You need to have effective airflow through your house so that the wood won’t collect moisture from condensation. This isn’t only an issue of the humidity rising in your home, but also to protect the house from wood rot and damaged drywall. It prevents the development of mold and mildew as well.
- Lower VOC Concentrations: What are VOCs? It’s an acronym for volatile organic compounds. These are among the most common household pollutants, and they arise from chemicals and varnishes. In high concentrations, VOCs are unhealthy, and proper ventilation removes these concentrations.
- Reduce allergies: Oh, I know all about allergies—many people are allergic to me! But allergy problems in a home that are trigged by dust, pollen, dander, etc. will worsen if there isn’t enough ventilation.
- Stop negative pressure: There’s a thing called backdrafting that can occur in a home when the pressure indoors is lower than that outdoors. Outside air gets pulled into the home to make up for the negative pressure indoors. This often leads to cold drafts in the winter and drier air. Another potential danger is that it may pull combustion gas down a chimney and into the house.
These are only some of the larger benefits of proper home ventilation. There are others, such as eliminating bad smells.
As a professional HVAC dog, I’ve never ignored the “V” in HVAC. And there’s no here at MK Russell & Abbott who ignores it either. If your home need better ventilation, you can trust to our technicians to have you taken care of. We have special indoor air quality services as well.
Stay warm,
Olive