We can't see air.
It's as simple as that and is why Indoor Air Quality should be on your agenda more than ever before - and therefore so should ventilation.
Do you have a bathroom fan and it's not clearing the air?
Do you have a 'stuffy feeling' indoors?
Have you got condensation?
Are your allergies getting worse?
You need to review the ventilation in your home (and we don't just mean opening the window)
The air we breathe can have a significant impact on our health. We all know that outdoor pollution is a problem. But the chances are you don't worry too much about the quality of the air in your own home, yet it can be 5 time more polluted than outdoors.
The things we do and the products we use make our homes more comfortable and homely, such as decorating, burning candles and using air fresheners BUT these can increase our personal exposure to pollutants, and contribute significantly to our collective national emissions.
We also spend 90% of out time INDOORS - even more so with increased working at home - so this isn't something we should ignore. If you or anyone in your family has a pre-existing health condition, such as asthma, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you're particularly vulnerable to the effects of pollution both outside and inside your home. Children and young adults are also more at risk, because they have faster breathing rates and their lungs are still developing.
Why is ventilation important?
Ventilation is provision of fresher air in and removal of stale air from your home.
It simple takes care of removing moisture and pollutants, gets the air moving and bring in fresher replacement air.
The goal of effective ventilation in your home is to maintain a comfortable indoor environment and ensure good indoor air quality.
There are several common pollutants inside a home including which can impact our health and that can be removed with effective ventilation. Poor indoor air quality is linked to asthma, COPD and even lung cancer and the pollutants in the home can cause allergies which have us sneezing, coughing and rubbing our eyes. Outdoor Air also impacts indoor air, so the area where your home is could also be impacting your indoor air quality.
Without efffective ventilation, our homes, which are becoming increasignly insualted (thanks for govenment grants for insulation and our double glazing improvements) which means they need good air movement to protect the
What Ventilation do you need in your home to improve indoor air quality?
Ventilation comes in different shapes and sizes as do houses and needs!
You need to consider extraction and supply or air into your home and there are Building Regulations that provide guidance for airflow rates in different rooms and property types.
A lot of ventilation products are running and making a noise, but not actually ventilating anything resulting in condensation and continued allergies.
Considerations for new/upgrading ventilation;
- Continuous Ventilation - provides low level ventilation throughout the day and boosts when required
- Automatic Controls - e.g. tracking humidity for automatic boosting when required
- Location of unit - wall, window, ceiling, in-line
- Noise Levels
- Energy rating and running costs
At The Air Shop, we are specialists in ventilation for homes and we'll find the best solution to meet your needs. Call us on 033 0223 6776 to discuss which products might be suitable
Poor Indoor Air Quality Symptoms
If you suffer with any of these symptoms, it might be time to invest in a Indoor Air Quality Monitor to see what pollutants you can't see are impacting you and consider how you can improve air flow in your home;
- Coughing or Difficulty Breathing
- Sneezing or Allergic Reactions
- Skin Dryness or Irritation
- Headaches or Nausea
- Inability to Sleep
- Dust Buildup
- Unpleasant Odour/'Stuffy Feeling'
- Condensation and Mould