Home Improvements
How To Improve The Air Quality In Your Home
By
Apr 15, 2007, 20:29

(NAPSI)-The next time you clean your home, don't forget to make sure your home's air is clean. By cleaning or replacing the air filter in your heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, you can maintain better indoor air quality (IAQ) and help lower energy bills.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star® program, dirt and neglect are the top two causes of HVAC system failure. An easy and inexpensive way to help keep your system clean is to change the air filter on your unit every month. This can help prevent your system from failing and save you the cost of having to replace your unit.

For example, by cleaning the air filter in your air conditioner each month, it will run colder and more efficiently, and as a result, it will last longer.

To further ensure good IAQ, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommends homeowners follow 10 tips:

1. Vent bathrooms, kitchens, toilets and laundry rooms directly outdoors.

2. Avoid locating furnaces and ductwork in spaces where they can draw contaminants into the house.

3. Properly vent fireplaces, wood stoves and other hearth products.

4. Vent clothes dryers and central vacuum cleaners directly outside.

5. Store toxic or volatile compounds, such as paints, solvents, cleaners and pesticides, in un-occupied spaces.

6. Minimize or avoid unvented combustion sources, such as candles, cigarettes, indoor barbecues, decorative combustion appliances or vent-free heaters.

7. Provide operable windows or additional mechanical ventilation when using home cleaners or painting.

8. Use sealed-combustion, power-vented or condensing water heaters and furnaces.

9. Put a good particle filter or air cleaner in your air-handling system to keep dirt out of the air and off your ductwork and heating and cooling components. Maintain it or replace it regularly, as required.

10. Distribute a minimum level of outdoor air throughout the home, using whole-house, mechanical ventilation.

To learn more about energy-efficient HVAC products that ensure comfort, such as the Acclimate™ Series of air conditioners and heat pumps from the Luxaire® brand of Johnson Controls, visit www.luxaire.com or call (877) 874-7378. Cleaning HVAC system air filters can keep your home's air clean, keep your system from failing and save you money.

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