Today’s houses are more energy efficient than ever. While this is excellent for keeping your heating and cooling costs low, it’s bad for getting ample fresh air inside.
Recently constructed houses are tightly sealed, which means they don’t “breathe” like older homes can. Consequently, your home might begin to smell stale, feel too humid or experience issues with condensation. If you have allergy or asthma sufferers in your home, they could complain of growing issues.
Thankfully, it’s not complicated to enhance the ventilation in your residence in Bend. The majority of of the options that we’ll review soon are uncomplicated and reasonably priced.
1. Open Windows and Screened Doors
This is the fastest way to get fresh air into your residence during pleasant temperatures. But it’s important to know this frequently isn’t a year-round possibility and can lead to problems if someone in your home has seasonal allergies. If this applies to you, you shouldn’t open windows during the early morning. That’s when the pollen counts are the greatest, according to Mayo Clinic. You also shouldn’t open them during dry, windy weather, because the weather can worsen allergies.
2. Operate Exhaust Fans in Your Kitchen and Bathrooms
Operating these fans eliminates stale air, excessive moisture, odors and other indoor contaminants. They’re also reasonable to run. An exhaust fan costs about $7-$15 each year in electricity if you were to run it 24/7, according to the Center for Energy and the Environment (CEE).
If you’re interested in doing this, the CEE suggests looking for an ENERGY STAR® ventilation fan that offers nearly noiseless, constant operation. These fans frequently include a sensor that will turn them on automatically when there’s too much humidity, so you won’t have to make a note to turn it on or off.
However, it’s important to be aware that an exhaust fan can negatively influence your home’s temperature, since it’s removing air that you’ve already heated or cooled.
3. Keep Your Residence’s Humidity Balanced
The ideal humidity level for your residence is between 30–50%, according to Mayo Clinic. While the ideal concentration of humidity won’t improve ventilation, it can improve your house’s indoor air quality and keep your home pleasant at a more energy-efficient setting.
If humidity isn’t high enough, you might experience dry skin, a scratchy throat or itchy eyes. Dry air can also influence wood flooring and furnishings in your residence, causing them to splinter. On the other hand, humidity that’s too high can make air feel stale or stuffy. It can also contribute to mold and mildew growth and aggravate allergies or asthma.
The smartest method to keep humidity regulated is with a whole-home solution. We have humidifiers and dehumidifiers that work with your heating and cooling system. You don’t need to transport an inefficient portable system across your house, spilling water as you move.
It’s also important to realize the right humidity concentration can also make air more pleasant at an energy-efficient temperature, helping you pay less on energy costs.
4. Get a Ventilation System
Getting a mechanical ventilation system is one of the top ways to bring in additional fresh air into your house year-round. There are two different types—heat recovery ventilation (HRV) and energy recovery ventilation (ERV). These systems continuously get rid of stale indoor air and replace it with fresh outdoor air.
HRV is ideal for cool climates, since it holds on to the heat from the indoor air it emits. ERV is fantastic for hot areas, because it removes warmth and moisture from your air. Some climates can benefit from both units, so check with our Tri County Climate Control LLC ventilation professionals about what’s a good fit for your Bend house.
If stuffy or lingering odors are an issue in your house, you can also buy a whole-house air purification system. These systems give an additional level of filtration, which can also provide support with reducing pet dander, allergens and bacteria in your residence.
Our ventilation experts are here to help you select the right product for your residence. Contact us at 541-238-2797 now for a free, no-obligation home comfort assessment. We’ll visually inspect your current equipment and find out about your needs before offering our recommendations on the right options to enhance ventilation in your residence.