During flu season we should do what we can to protect ourselves, as it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. Similarly to allergy-proofing your home, there are specific things that can be done to make sure viruses are not on the loose.
Depending on where you live, your outdoor air quality may be not-so-great, and when you are trying to stay healthy, you may want to escape to the inside. You want to make sure that your indoor air quality is healthy and free of things that can make you sick or cause an illness to be persistent.
Fight the flu with your HVAC unit (and beyond) with these simple steps!
KEEP YOUR AIR DUCTS CLEAN
Dirty and gunky air ducts will harbor viruses and bacteria, among other things. According to the EPA, there isn’t a recommended time schedule for getting your ducts professionally cleaned, or if you really even need to; however, there are certain circumstances in which you will want to. To prevent your ducts from becoming contaminated in the first place, you will want to regularly check and replace your filters with high quality HEPA ones as well as vacuum regularly with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter. Definitely make sure all ducts are properly sealed. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get an HVAC professional out to inspect or maintain your system once a year.
INVEST IN PROPER AIR FILTERS
You’ve heard it before and we’ll say it again. Investing in a high-quality, HEPA air filter for your HVAC system will help you to keep healthy air circulation going throughout your home. If your current filter is clogged up with particles or you have a filter in place that allows smaller particles through, all of that is recirculating back into your home. If you or a loved one at home is sick, it is recommended that you replace the air filter right after the sickness is over. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers created a scale called a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating. Most residential systems can adequately remove airborne contaminants with a filter rated MERV 7-12.
FIND THE PERFECT HUMIDITY LEVEL
You have to be careful with humidity levels. When it’s too humid, mold spores and mildew can breed, and when it’s too dry, typically your home can start to breed viruses, if one comes into contact with something in your home. If you or someone living in your home already has the flu, it is best to increase the humidity to deter the virus from growing further on and around surfaces of your home. Your HVAC controls humidity to a certain extent (if it is working properly); however, you can supplement this by using a humidifier. Generally, your home’s humidity should be between 30% and 50% depending on the outside air, and if the flu is rampant, you may want to increase this a tad, especially in rooms where there are sick individuals.
PURCHASE AN AIR PURIFIER
Did you know that you can add an air purifier to your current HVAC system? A professional technician should be able to give you more details about this—depending on your system. Also, there are various free-standing air purifiers for small and large rooms that can supplement what your HVAC system is already doing. Click HERE for a list of 2020 Best Air Purifiers for Bacteria and Viruses.
Overall, nothing is 100% guaranteed, but doing something is better than nothing, right? Obviously you want to stay healthy and also protect others in your home and want to know the best ways to go about doing that.
Dale Heating Cooling and Sheetmetal in Santa Rosa, CA can assist you in determining whether or not you can install an air purifier in your HVAC system along with give you additional professional tips on staying healthy during the flu season in regards to your HVAC system.