People naturally spend more time indoors in the winter, so it’s more important than ever to have good air quality inside your home. How you heat your space is a significant contributor to indoor air pollution, since many heating methods release harmful substances in the air like carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
We go over ways to mitigate these risks below and offer helpful tips on how to improve your indoor air quality in the winter and beyond.
Why Clean Heat?
“Clean heat” isn’t just a marketing buzz word. Many home heating systems produce harmful byproducts like ash or decrease the quality of your air by allowing dust and debris to circulate. Clean heating refers to systems that reduce or eliminate indoor pollutants so you can breathe easier. Switching to cleaner heat also increases your property resale value and reduces yearly maintenance and repair costs.
Eliminate Gas-Burning Appliances
First and foremost, it’s critical to eliminate the use of gas-burning appliances in your home. If you have a gas stove or gas heating, it’s time to switch these over to electric.
Even if you don’t have a leak, some gas will inevitably escape into your air whenever you turn your stove or thermostat on. If you ever are faced with a leak, this can quickly tank your home air quality and put you and your family at risk of health issues. By switching over to electric heating, cooking, and clothes drying – even if it’s not ductless – you can eliminate toxic carbon monoxide in your home.
Don’t Burn Wood
If you have a stove that uses wood logs or pellets to heat your space, this is also an issue since it creates a lot of ash and smoke that can get into the air you breathe. Many people with wood heat tend to notice dust and soot on their walls, even if they have a properly working chimney. These contaminants are hazardous and can cause headaches, upper respiratory problems, and even some forms of cancer.
Switch Electric Heat to Ductless
Once you’ve eliminated gas appliances entirely, it’s time to consider switching your electric heating over to ductless technology. If you don’t have a gas heater or any other fuel-combustion appliances, this is where you’ll start your clean heating journey.
Ductless uses the least amount of electricity of all heating methods to produce the same amount of heat as a furnace or space heater, so you pay less and use fewer fossil fuels to power your home.
Install Solar Panels to Power Your Electric
Finally, think about installing solar panels to offset or completely eliminate your electricity consumption. Generating your own energy with solar not only gives you the cleanest home heating available, it also reduces your contribution to environmentally hazardous greenhouse gasses in the face of worsening climate change.
Contrary to popular belief, solar panels work extremely well to power homes and businesses, even when it’s cloudy. Instead of polluting the air inside and outside your home, solar energy gives you cheaper, cleaner power for your entire house – not just your heating and cooling equipment. And the cost of solar is cheaper than ever, with installation expenses decreasing by a staggering 73% from 2010 to 2018 and prices are continuing to drop.
Read More
Solar Energy vs Fossil Fuels: Why It’s Time to Make the Switch
Integrating Renewable Resources Into Your Home
7 Benefits of Solar Energy for Heating Your Home
Integrating Air Source Heat Pumps and Solar Power (Podcast with Boston Solar)
Integrating Solar Power with Your Heat Pumps (Podcast with Solaris Renewables)
5 Steps Toward Whole Home Electrification
5 Signs Whole Home Electrification Is Right for You
Other Ways to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
Looking for more ways to boost your indoor air quality? Check out these helpful tips from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
- Eliminate sources of indoor pollution like tobacco products, deteriorated insulation, household cleaning products, furniture made with particle board, and pesticides.
- Do activities that involve pollutants outdoors, like painting, burning or sanding wood, grilling, and other tasks that create high levels of contaminants.
- Ventilate your home often by opening doors and windows to let in fresh air. You can also turn on kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to help remove contaminated air.
- Install a high quality air purifier with advanced filtration to remove dust and particulate matter from your indoor air.
Get Reliable Heating & Electrical Services in Boston with N.E.T.R., Inc.
Are you looking to get away from fossil fuels and optimize your home heating? N.E.T.R., Inc. is here to help. With multiple energy-efficient heating solutions that can be customized to fit your needs, our team of experts can recommend affordable options that will maximize your comfort for less. Call today for more information at (781) 933-6387 or click here to contact us online.
