Ever since news of the pandemic first leaked out, we have all breathed a little less comfortably…a little less deeply.
Why? Because the thought that the very air we are breathing could make us sick at any moment is really scary!
But the bright spot in what has now become a multi-year battle against COVID-19 is how much we have learned. We are beginning to arm ourselves against the invader. We are learning how to purify and clean our indoor air to no longer be a threat.
This week’s blog post discusses two key components of our new indoor air purity protection strategy: humidity and ventilation.
Humidity Balance For Optimal Indoor Air Protection
One of the major players in our defensive strategy against airborne threats such as flu, COVID-19 and even the common cold is humidity.
We have learned that what we need is more humidity and not less.
Health officials tell us that humid air helps our body produce more protective mucous to protect airborne viral and microbial threats by trapping them before they can get into our lungs.
And COVID-19 researchers state that active airborne viral droplets die-off twice as fast when relative indoor air humidity is between 40 and 60 percent.
Fantastic.
But how can you make sure that the humidity levels inside your home remain within this range consistently?
Consistent Humidity Is Easy With a Whole House Humidifier
The best way to keep your indoor humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent is to use a whole house humidifier.
A modern whole house humidifier is a sophisticated appliance that delivers humidity silently and evenly throughout your space.
But this high level of indoor humidity can come with its own set of challenges, including damage to home furnishings and the threat of mould and mildew.
So how can you safely increase your home’s indoor air humidity without harm? Read on!
Safely Humidify Your Home With a Heat Recovery Ventilator
Ventilation and circulation are two words that are commonly mixed up. The two are complementary but not the same.
Air circulation refers to the movement of air throughout a space.
Ventilation refers to the influx of fresh air into a space and the corresponding outflow of stale air.
Ventilation can improve indoor air circulation for the air that is already inside a space.
Improved air circulation is commonly accomplished using ceiling or floor fans, open windows or doors, and even running the fan on your HVAC system (although this is not recommended for energy cost reasons).
But air circulation alone cannot address the need for a continual supply of fresh indoor air to move stale air and airborne toxins out.
This is why the key to safely increasing the humidity inside your home or workplace isn’t as simple as air circulation to keep mould and mildew at bay.
What you need to safely humidify your indoor air is improved ventilation. The best way to accomplish this is to use a heat recovery ventilator. As a side benefit, a good ventilation system will also boost air circulation throughout your space.
How Ventilation and Humidification Work Together
Humidifiers on their own are a great asset. So are heat recovery ventilators for improved air circulation and replenishment of the fresh air supply in any space.
But as you now know, when you are trying to achieve a certain consistent indoor air humidity level safely, you really need to pair humidification with ventilation.
Together, these two make great indoor air quality partners.
With a whole house humidifier system, you can regulate the relative humidity levels in your indoor air to stay between 40 and 60 percent depending on your individual health needs and concerns.
Modern humidification systems can also keep your indoor environment stable and healthy no matter what the seasonal weather conditions may be like outside.
And with proper ventilation, you can make sure the humidity does not concentrate in certain areas, such as closets, bathrooms, laundry rooms or basements, which can lead to mould and mildew problems.
How to Add Humidification and Ventilation to Your Home
At this point you are probably wondering what is required to add a whole house humidifier and heat recovery ventilator to your home’s indoor air quality toolkit.
If you have a central (ducted) HVAC system, we can simply add a whole house humidifier and a heat recovery ventilator that will work seamlessly together with your existing system.
Depending on your needs, you can choose a flow through humidifier that works with your furnace or a steam humidifier that works independently of your temperature control system.
Heat recovery ventilation options are very similar. Ducted HVAC systems can be easily retrofitted with an extra set of ducts and vents to work with a heat recovery ventilator.
If your home runs on ductless A/C and heat, the newest heat recovery ventilators do not require air ducts to ventilate each room in your space.
This compact HRV system takes up very little space and operates silently as the lungs of each room – keeping your indoor air fresh, clean and humidity balanced throughout the year.
Trust Shipton’s CleanAir Solutions for All Your Ventilation and Air Quality Needs
Shipton’s CleanAir Solutions is proud to be of service to our residential and commercial customers in Hamilton and surrounding areas for nearly a century now.
Indoor air quality needs are changing based on new airtight construction standards, new HVAC technology and the ongoing global pandemic. We know you are concerned and we want you to know we are here to help keep your family safe and healthy now and in the future.
Give us a call at 1-905-544-2470 or visit us online to ask a question, request a quote or schedule service.
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