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Have you ever felt like your house has an oppressive and uncomfortable atmosphere, as though a thick fog follows you everywhere? Perhaps it’s coupled with a distinctively moldy or disagreeable smell, which can make breathing difficult at times. Numerous factors could contribute to such a stifling environment within your home. As professional contractor and HGTV star Mike Holmes suggests, stagnant air may become trapped indoors, leading to these issues. However, the positive side of things is that Holmes claims there’s an easy solution to address this problem, starting primarily with improving your ventilation system.
The sensation of heavy air in your living space might become more apparent during hotter summer days due to increasing temperatures; however, it can occur throughout the entire year. Individuals residing in recently constructed houses often experience their dwellings being notably stifling. This occurs because contemporary residences prioritize energy conservation. Although this approach reduces electricity expenses, it can affect how well air circulates within the home, leading to periods where the atmosphere inside seems stagnant and overly humid. To address these issues, Holmes recommends evaluating your dwelling’s ventilation setup and contemplating the purchase of an energy recovery ventilator (ERV), designed to introduce fresh external air into your home while expelling old interior air. Alternatively, should you be searching for a new place to live, make sure to gather information about potential properties’ ventilation systems before making a decision.
how to determine if a possible house has adequate airflow
.
Read more:
Strategies and Techniques for Avoiding Window Condensation Without Using a Dehumidifier
How Ventilation Systems Can Have Such an Impact
Even though external air might bring contaminants into your house, particularly if you reside close to places with significant pollution (such as highways or industrial sites), typically, exterior air contains less pollutants compared to interior air. As air infiltrates your dwelling, it gradually accumulates humidity, smells, and airborne contaminants. Consequently, this can result in an enclosed space feeling dank and oppressive. Therefore, ensuring adequate ventilation is crucial; otherwise, you may want to think about alternatives for improving airflow.
enhancing your house’s ventilation
When you implement effective ventilation systems like an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV), as suggested by Holmes, the indoor air gets renewed. This process lets fresh outside air into your house while pushing out polluted inside air, thus decreasing the level of contaminants within your living space.
ERV systems generally consist of five main parts: ductwork, fans, a filtration mechanism, a heat exchanger, and control mechanisms. These units work by initially drawing stale air from within your living space—areas like basements, bathrooms, and other enclosed zones—and simultaneously taking in fresh external air. Both streams subsequently move through a heat exchanger where the incoming air adjusts to match the temperature of the outgoing air indoors. Following this process, the tempered outdoor air gets distributed back into the residence while the used indoor air is expelled outdoors.
Opening windows and doors for natural ventilation can assist in bringing fresh air into your house while eliminating stagnant pollutants and smells.
advantage of ventilating your house
However, it can also be utilized alongside mechanical ventilation systems. Whether you open the windows or not, ERVs can circulate fresh air without disturbing the indoor comfort. Additionally, they help maintain lower energy costs.
Why Superior Air Quality Is Crucial
Improving the air quality within your living space is essential. Low-quality indoor air can lead to an unpleasantly stuffy environment, reducing mental sharpness. In more serious cases, poor indoor air quality may harm your health through breathing difficulties and various illnesses, facilitating the spread of airborne infections around your house. Long-term inhalation of contaminants indoors might result in moderate to critical respiratory conditions, leading to frequent headaches, weariness, and discomfort in eyes or throats. For instance, individuals with allergies or asthma could experience exacerbated symptoms due to inferior air quality. Pollutants like pollen, animal hair, and fungal spores thrive in moist settings; without adequate airflow, these particles can linger in your dwelling, worsening the issue.
Fresh air is crucial for your health, wellbeing, comfort, and even productivity. Research indicates that it enhances cognitive abilities, leading to better focus and mental sharpness, which makes it simpler for you to perform tasks efficiently at work, school, and relax comfortably at home. Moreover, the standard of your indoor air could mean the contrast between tossing and turning all night versus getting a peaceful slumber, as poor-quality air can disrupt your rest due to its oppressive nature.
If you believe in the benefits of an ERV, purchasing one won’t be inexpensive, but it also won’t bankrupt you. You could find one for
a one-room setup for approximately $250
or you could purchase one that
incorporates into your current HVAC setup for approximately $1,000 onwards
.
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