Over 76 Years in Service...

Pay Online

Click here to Subscribe to Chips Tips Blog

How To Circulate Air During Winter In Your Home?

Circulate air during winter with a Lifebreath HRV.

How To Circulate Air During Winter In Your Home?

We all know how vital fresh air is. It provides us with the oxygen we need to survive. It keeps our immune systems strong and our bodies healthy. It even helps to prevent mould and improve energy efficiency in our homes!

During the summer, we’ll open our windows wide to let in that summer sunshine and fresh air. That soft breeze blowing in is always so peaceful and relaxing.

But cranking open the windows in the middle of winter just isn’t an option.

It’s way too cold out there!

So how do you circulate air during winter?

With a reliable, whole-home ventilation system!

This system ensures your entire house has fresh air to help keep your family healthy!

 

Why Should You Ventilate Your Home?

How much time do you think Canadians spend indoors? About half? Two-thirds?

If you guessed either of those, think higher!

According to the Government of Canada, Canadians spend about 90% of their time indoors.

That’s nearly the entirety of our lives!

And with Canadian winters lasting so long, it wouldn’t shock us if some people spend closer to 100% of their time indoors. If only to avoid the cold!

No wonder indoor air quality (IAQ) is such a vital factor in our health. It’s the majority of the air we breathe. 

That’s why our indoor air quality team provides the best air quality advice and IAQ products!

We strive to give you the knowledge and tools you need to keep your homes healthy and comfortable - all winter long! 

That includes finding ways to better circulate air during winter!

In past blog posts, we’ve discussed the importance of humidity control and air purifiers. If you haven’t seen those articles we encourage you to check them out!

Humidity control helps improve your immune response - preventing airborne toxins from travelling into your lungs.

Air purifiers help clean indoor air by removing harmful viruses. 

But today, we’re talking about a third factor of good indoor air quality - ventilation!

 

How Does Ventilation Effectively Circulate Your Air during Winter?

Ventilation is the process of removing stale air and replacing it with clean, fresh air.

This constant cycling of fresh air helps to:

Re-oxygenate air.

Your home is likely well-sealed during the winter to prevent heat from escaping. And while this is a great way to lower your energy usage and save money, it’s also a recipe for stale air.

Since our bodies need oxygen to function, this warm air actually does more harm than good!

Stale air, or used air, is under-oxygenated, which means your body  isn’t getting the oxygen it needs to function properly.

Ventilating your home ensures your indoor air receives fresh, clean air regularly.

Dilute pollutants.

According to the EPA, indoor air pollution can cause short and long-term health effects.

Depending on which pollutant you’re exposed to, short-term health effects can include:

  • Dizziness,
  • Fatigue,
  • Skin, nose and throat irritation,
  • Headaches, etc.

Long-term health effects can include:

  • Respiratory diseases,
  • Cancer,
  • Heart disease, etc.

Increasing the ventilation in your home can help dilute certain pollutants, like VOCs and Radon, to ensure your air is safe to breathe.

Control humidity.

Low ventilation can increase the humidity in your home even during the winter months.

You may notice condensation on your windows or mould growth in your basement. Both of these are sure signs of high humidity.

By increasing the ventilation in your home, you can,

a) Lower the humidity and

b) Help prevent it from causing issues to your health and home.

Remove dust and other allergens.

High humidity and warmth also present the perfect home for dust mites.

Dust mites live in bedding, clothing, upholstery, curtains and carpets. And while they don’t bite, they do trigger allergy symptoms.

If you have a dust mite allergy, you may experience:

  • Coughing,
  • Nasal congestion,
  • Swollen under the eyes,
  • Runny snow and sneezing, etc,

A dust mite allergy can also contribute to your respiratory health, which we discuss next.

If your house is severely dusty, ensure you’re cleaning your home regularly. Washing your bed linen weekly, removing carpeting, and using damp cloth to dust are all great cleaning tips!

Another solution to controlling dust mites in your home is whole-home ventilation.

As mentioned above, ventilation helps control the humidity in your home. And with less humidity, dust mites are less likely to survive.

Protect respiratory health.

Back in 2020, we released an article talking about ventilation and COVID-19. We discussed how increasing ventilation could help reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection.

In that article, we also explained how ventilators are essentially your home’s lungs.

“Just like your lungs, a heat recovery ventilator continually inhales fresh, oxygenated air while exhaling stale, toxic air. And just like your lungs, the HRV uses two different passageways to ensure the two air sources never mix.”

Your home is essentially creating a healthy environment for your body to breathe in! This environment is full of fresh, oxygenated air that protects you and helps you!

This fresh air strengthens your immune system - shielding and enhancing your respiratory health.


 

Installing a  Heat Recovery Ventilator

Now that you understand why ventilation is so important, it’s time to find the right system for your home.

There are two types of whole-home ventilators:

  1. Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs)
  2. Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs)

Both systems supply your home with fresh air. So what’s the difference? And how do you choose one?

ERVs recover heat and moisture, while HRVs only recover heat (or cooled air).

When deciding which one suits your home best, we encourage you to speak with our IAQ experts.

You’ll need to consider your climate, the age and build of your house, the size of your family, etc.

But typically, we recommend our Gravenhurst neighbours invest in an HRV.

This system allows you to circulate air during winter without any heat loss. While it removes stale air, it also removes excess moisture - leaving you with recycled heat for incoming air.

This can help you save on heating bills while controlling your home humidity levels.

 

The Lifebreath HRV

Get a Free Quote

Our Lifebreath HRV units are a great solution for winter ventilation. They keep your air fresh and clean while preventing moisture build-up, toxic mould and rot.

Benefits of the Lifebreath HRV:

  • Efficient Airflow Design
  • Minimal Maintenance
  • Maximum Heat Transfer
  • Seasonal Durability
  • Environmentally Friendly
  • Cleaner Indoor Air Quality
  • Moisture Control

Get a free quote on a Lifebreath HRV by clicking the link above!

 

Freshen Up Your Indoor Air This Winter With Our Gravenhurst IAQ Experts

Looking for other ways to help circulate air during winter in your home? Let’s find the solution that works best for you!

Keeping your indoor air safe, comfortable and healthy is our top priority this winter. Give our air quality experts a call today to learn more about our IAQ products and solutions!

You can reach our team at +1 705-687-3402 or email us at info@gravenhurstplumbing.com.

Comments
Login or Chip's Tips Sign Up to post comments.