During the cold season, Maryland homeowners take action to keep warm air in and cold air out. Unfortunately, ventilation is often overlooked during heating season, which causes indoor air quality within the home to decline. If you’re wondering whether it’s a good idea to air out your house in the winter, the answer is “yes!”

What Happens When Ventilation Is Poor

Regularly opening the windows and doors allows fresh outside air to move into the home while pushing out the stale indoor air, which is often highly concentrated with air pollutants such as dust and pet dander. Without some regular ventilation, household members are continually exposed to polluted indoor air, which can lead to a health problem known as sick building syndrome. Additionally, those with allergies and asthma may experience more exposure to triggers, worsening their symptoms.

While we typically don’t think of winter as a humid time of year, poor ventilation in the home over the heating season can cause an increase of humidity inside the home, which causes indoor air quality issues such as pollution concentrations to grow. As moisture is introduced into the home environment through activities such as cooking, cleaning, and bathing, the moisture builds up within when it is not expelled through regular ventilation. Homeowners may notice condensation on windows and surfaces, which may be susceptible to mold and mildew growth in the home.

Should I Air Out My Home During the Winter Months?

Homeowners often question if it’s a good idea to air out their house in the winter because we’ve been taught to seal our homes tightly to safeguard against heat loss. However, occasionally airing out the home brings important benefits that we shouldn’t pass up. With the right approach, you don’t have to sacrifice temperature control in the name of good ventilation.

• Air out the home a few times per day – try in the morning, evening, and at night. If performing high-moisture activities, like cooking on the stove or drying a load of laundry, take advantage of natural ventilation during these times to eliminate excess moisture in the home.
• Crack open the windows on opposite sides of the home to create a cross breeze that quickens ventilation. After 5 to 10 minutes, air in the home has been replaced with fresh air without a great impact to indoor air temperature.
• Keep interior doors open throughout the day to allow heat to circulate through all areas – closing doors allows heat and contaminants to concentrate in certain areas.

Contact Grove for Help with Winter Indoor Air Quality

When questioning whether to air out your house in winter, remember that proper ventilation is important to maintaining good air quality – which has a bigger impact on comfort than most people realize. When your home is in need of additional help with air quality or ventilation improvements, turn to the team at Grove Heating & Cooling for high-quality solutions and skilled installation. Contact us today to request an estimate.