Your HVAC system has two primary jobs. The first is keeping your house at a comfortable temperature with heat and air conditioning. The second is less obvious but equally important—maintaining good indoor air quality (IAQ).
Understanding the connection between your home’s HVAC system and indoor air quality is one of the most important things you can do if you want a safe and healthy home. In this guide, we explain how the two are linked and what you can do to improve your home’s air quality at the source.
The Connection Between HVAC & IAQ
Your home’s heating and cooling system and indoor air quality (IAQ) are intrinsically linked. Your central HVAC system sucks in the air in your home via return vents, heats or cools it, and then redistributes it throughout your living spaces via supply vents. This process continues on a loop indefinitely. That means all of the air you breathe in your home passes through your HVAC system not just once, but over and over again.
This is a good thing because HVAC systems are designed to improve the air that passes through them. If your HVAC system is working properly, it will control humidity levels, filter out irritants like pollen and dust, and bring clean fresh air inside. On the flip side, problems with your HVAC system will hurt your home’s indoor air quality and, ultimately, your family’s health.
HVAC Issues that Hurt Indoor Air Quality
If your HVAC system is designed, installed, and maintained properly, it won’t cause indoor air quality issues. The problem is that most HVAC systems are not designed, installed, and maintained properly.
This is partially because of inexperienced contractors cutting corners or making mistakes during the design and installation process and partially because many homeowners don’t realize how important regular HVAC maintenance is.
- Inadequate Ventilation - The V in HVAC stands for ventilation! Without adequate ventilation, the air in your house will get stale, stuffy, and hard to breathe.
- Poor Filtration - Ventilation and filtration go hand in hand. Ventilation brings fresh air into your house, but you need good filtration to remove pollutants from that air. Without proper filtration, outdoor air pollution can easily get inside your home.
- Dirty Air Filters - Air filters are your first line of defense against indoor air pollutants. If they aren’t cleaned regularly, they will clog, which makes it impossible for them to remove pollutants.
- Poor Humidity Control - Regulating humidity is a key function of your HVAC system. If your HVAC system does not control humidity effectively, you will end up with serious IAQ issues like mold and mildew.
- Improper Appliance Venting - All of your combustion appliances (like your furnace) must be carefully vented. If they are not vented correctly, combustion byproducts like carbon monoxide can leak inside your home, which is not just bad for your air quality but also extremely dangerous to your family’s safety.
Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Since they’re so closely linked, making intentional, well-thought-out improvements to your home’s heating and cooling system will also improve your indoor air quality.
HVAC Maintenance
Regular HVAC system maintenance keeps your HVAC system and air filters clean, which is key to good IAQ.
Whole-Home Ventilation
A whole-home ventilation system will bring clean, filtered fresh air into your home. We recommend energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) because they provide controlled mechanical ventilation while minimizing additional energy consumption!
Whole-Home Dehumidifiers
On the coast, humidity is a constant threat to our homes. A whole-home dehumidifier will keep your indoor humidity levels in check so you don’t have to worry about mold growth and the many health issues it can cause.
High-Efficiency Heat Pumps
If you don’t already have a heat pump, consider making the switch. Heat pumps don’t burn fuel to generate heat, which means they can’t leak gas or combustion byproducts into your home.
Find Holistic Solutions for a Healthy Home
Understanding the connections between different parts of your home, like your HVAC and IAQ, is central to everything we do at Total Home Performance. We provide holistic solutions that improve comfort, health, and energy efficiency all at the same time. If you’re ready to make your house a healthier, safer, and more comfortable place to live, give us a call. We’ll solve your IAQ problems at the source!