Air Quality in Your Home As much as you would like to save on your utility costs, avoid setting your thermostat too high during the summer months. Circulating air is necessary to help condensation evaporate. So also make sure you are adequately running exhaust fans after showering, and also when cooking. If your bathroom is not equipped with an exhaust fan, open a window to help water dissipate. Otherwise, mold will develop on the walls and ceilings in bathrooms.
The air quality in your home is affected by much more than the debris in your heating and air conditioning air ducts. Certainly, clogged air ducts can restrict air flow, put more dust into your home and affect allergy sufferers. However, the habits and lifestyles of those living in a home contribute to the quality of the indoor air, as well.
One of the most important factors affecting indoor air quality is humidity. If the humidity level is too low, you will feel dry and itchy. If the humidity is too high, the air feels clammy and has a musty odor because of too much moisture in the air. Extended periods of high humidity will eventually cause structural damage since moisture is absorbed by everything from the wood and drywall in a home to the furniture and fabrics.
One person's breathing produces 1/4 cup of water per hour. Showering puts 1/2 pint of water into the air. Cooking for a family of four produces an average of 5 pints of water in a 24 hour period. Adding only four to six pints of water to the air raises the relative humidity in a 1,000 square foot home from 15 to 60 percent, assuming the temperature is constant.
Excessive moisture and condensation can lead to mold. We often see this with homes where the air handler is located in the attic. The ambient air temperature in the attic will usually be much higher than the surface temperature of the cold (air conditioning) air handler. This can cause the air handler to "sweat," which then introduces more moisture into the ductwork.
If a sweating air handler is a problem in your home, you can talk to your heating and air conditioning company about recommendations for this. Conditioning the attic air can sometimes help the condensation dissipate. Ask your hvac company about putting supply vents into your attic to combat this problem. Yes, you will be providing air conditioning in a living space nobody occupies, but it is far less costly than having to clean-up a mold problem or water damage caused by excess moisture.
One of the best ways to combat air quality problems in your home is to open up doors and windows as weather permits to allow fresh air to circulate. Fresh air, especially after a thunderstorm, contains ions and ozone that naturally control contaminants and mold. Air tight homes are more energy-efficient, but sacrifice the natural benefits of fresh air. Take advantage of this "free" purifier when the weather is nice. It will cut down on air quality issues in your home.