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Keeping your filters clean is vitally important in determining the quality of your indoor air.  However, there are several other factors to consider when implementing a clean air strategy for your home.  They include cleanliness of the duct system, fresh air coming into the house, humidity levels and air filtration. 

STEP 1:  CLEAN THE DUCT WORK

Consider your ductwork the lungs of your heating and air conditioning system.  They return air to the furnace or air conditioner, pass through the air filter and then after being conditioned it’s supplied back to the rooms of your home.  A duct system that’s full of dirt and debris can cause your system to overwork, plug filters quicker and make you uncomfortable in your own home.  You may also experience more dust in the house because the air has lots of nasty things to pick-up on its way through the ducts.  So first things first, let’s get those ducts cleaned.  Here’s how:

Hire a (commonly known as VOCs) in your home.  VOCs are typically emitted as gases which may have adverse health effects.  These gases come from many household products including new furniture, carpets, paints, cleaning products, etc.  Oftentimes the concentration of VOCs is up to 10 times greater inside as compared to outside.  The proper way to manage VOCs in your home is to dilute them with fresh air and ventilate the house.  A simple and inexpensive option to bring fresh air into the home is to install a ducted intake that consists of a 4” or 6” pipe which connects from the return duct (at the farthest point from the furnace filter) and runs outside through the sidewall of the house where a fixed louvered cap is attached at the end.  When the furnace or air conditioner comes on, fresh air is drawn and mixed in the return, then circulates through the air filter.  A fresh air intake of this type will cost approximately $300 – $400 and of course does not ventilate or exhaust any air from your home.  The best option is to install a which will bring in fresh air from outside while it simultaneously exhausts stale air from the home.  The nice thing about this system is that the incoming air absorbs the heat of the outgoing air through a heat transferring filter core. Expect to pay anywhere from $2,500 – $3,000 for a heat recovery ventilator.

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