In a December, 2008 Philadelphia Inquirer article titled "Keeping air inside home clean during the winter", it says the the air (as has been pointed out in several other entries to the Blog) that "indoor air is 5 times more polluted than outdoor air and asthma has been on the rise for the last 15 - 20 years." The article implies that a culprit for the rise in poor inside air is a failure to control and manage humidity levels within the home. The suggested ideal humidity levels inside range from 40 - 60% in the winter although some homes fall either below or higher than the desired range.
When the home exceeds the acceptable range, even in the driest air, mold and microbes can thrive. Excess humidity can exist in the coldest of environments and in winter is usually evidenced in windows frosting over from the inside. The best options entail looking at ventilation recovery units coupled with a having a properly installed system to vent the excess humidity to the outside even during the coldest of months.
Homeowners wrongly assume that once the furnace kicks on that the mold or mildew problems that they may be experiencing will take the winter off. Actually, this is a time when the conditions can lead to serious respiratory problems as the families spend over 90% of their time inside and without the proper management of the indoor air, it can lead to exacerbation of respiratory disorders that last longer than they should because of breathing the trapped "bad" air.
Being conscious of what is happening with the air inside the home is becoming an issue more and more homeowners are investigating as with new construction being as tight as it is to conserve on energy costs, it can also trap airborne contaminants and proper ventilation is the only sensible solution. It is recommended the homeowner check on the ideal number of air exchanges their home should maintain for proper ventilation and reduction of airborne contaminants.
Comments