Understanding Ventilation and Its Importance

We're only weeks away from the cold season. During this time of year, your home can suffer from the changing weather, making maintaining a consistent indoor temperature a little challenging. One of the problems associated with this season is the growth of pollens in the air that trigger or aggravate asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

No, you can't control the temperature outside of your home, but you have absolute control over your indoor climate. Keeping a comfortable living space isn't all about the furnace or heat pump; ventilation has its part, too.

Four Seasons Air Specialists is your reliable HVAC company in North Oaks MN. We are your go-to place when it comes to energy-efficient home comfort systems, including ventilators.

Ventilation Basics

Ventilation is the transporting of stale indoor air and exchanging it with clean, fresh, outdoor air. Natural or mechanical methods achieve this process. If your home is built to be energy-efficient, it needs mechanical ventilation to maintain good indoor air quality. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, using ventilation systems prevents the accumulation of smells, excess humidity, and contaminants in an enclosed space. These factors can cause damage to your home, put your health at risk, and cost you money.

Ventilation plays a significant part in keeping home comfort and cleaning indoor air. Without proper ventilation in your home, you will experience comfort issues and health problems, such as sleep discomfort, allergies, and respiratory ailments.

Effects of Poor Ventilation

When your home doesn't have proper ventilation, it will gather too much carbon dioxide in the house while the oxygen level gets depleted. As a result, you and your family may experience shortness of breath, fatigue, and severe headaches.

Also, airborne diseases like cough and colds are spread into the air when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs directly at someone or in a confined space. Poor ventilation amplifies this transmission, causing more people in the home to get the virus or bacteria.

Moreover, not having proper ventilation causes condensation, which is prevalent during the cold months because of the substantial difference between the outdoor and indoor temperatures. Condensation is further enhanced as you breathe, take a shower, or dry your clothes. One of the worst effects of excessive condensation at home is mold growth, which is notorious for damaging wooden items, electronic devices, and, more importantly, affecting your health.

What are Ventilation Systems, and Why Should I Have One? 

Ventilation systems add the proper amount of fresh air from the outside to your indoor air. With the help of ducts and fans, ventilation systems draw in and circulate fresh air throughout your home and release air from specific areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.

A ventilation system helps control your home's humidity levels. As a result, your family will breathe much more effortlessly. It increases your home's comfort level, allowing you to lessen your use of HVAC systems.

This season, your heating system is going to work almost 24/7. You would want your furnace or heat pump to always be at its best. With that in mind, a ventilation system (mainly a heat recovery unit) will run entirely at a low rate to minimize your energy consumption. It will significantly lower your monthly energy costs by using the heat that is usually wasted through standard extract systems. The recovered heat is up to twenty times the energy used by electric fans.

Did you know that indoor air is far more polluted than outdoor air? Most people spend the majority of their time indoors, especially during this pandemic. About 50 percent of all illnesses are either caused by or aggravated by low indoor air quality. With a ventilation system, you will have clean, fresh air circulated throughout your home all day, all night. This system will continuously eliminate stale, moist air from your home, establishing a healthier and more comfortable home environment.

Need Help? Ask Four Seasons Air Specialists

Our goal is to help homeowners like you create a living space that is entirely comfortable and safe. That's why we offer total HVAC solutions, including ventilation systems. If you are interested in having one installed in your home, give us a call. We are your leading White Bear heating and air conditioning company.