As a homeowner in the Peachtree City area, you probably know that it’s important to thoroughly insulate your home in order to save money on energy costs and enjoy a comfortable home, but did you know you must ventilate, too? Without proper ventilation, comfort be compromised, and your family’s health may be at risk.

What is ventilation, and why is it so important? 

Good indoor air quality is essential to both your home and your family’s health. When moisture, carbon dioxide or other harmful pollutants build up in a home that is well insulated or airtight, it can lead to mold growth or even structural damage. Pollutants indoors can trigger allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems; mold can lead to severe or even fatal illness.

Now you understand why you must ventilate your home – here’s how: 

• Infiltration. Most older homes have fewer problems with contaminated air building up inside because they’re “naturally” ventilated. Cracks around windows or doors, in floors, joints and other areas where fresh air from outside can make its way in without being forced create air movement inside the home.
• Natural ventilation. You must ventilate your home, and one of the easiest ways to do it is by opening up your windows and doors. Essentially, fresh air from the outdoors will come inside your home, and stale, moist air will move out. Wind, indoor and outdoor temperatures and other factors assist natural ventilation.
• Mechanical ventilation. A combination of “spot” and whole-house ventilation, this type involves using exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens (such as in the range hood over the stove) to remove moisture and/or pollutants at their source. In addition, using duct systems and fans to supply fresh air into your home and exhaust stale air may be beneficial. In essence, whole-house ventilation is a way to ensure that your home is ventilated in a controlled, uniform manner.

At Powers Heating & Air, we’re dedicated to helping Peachtree City homeowners enjoy comfortable, clean air. Give us a call with any questions you have about why you must ventilate. We’re glad to help!

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree, GA and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ventilation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock