Here are 5 ways to improve your indoor air quality

As we head into the spring and summer months, it is important to make sure the air quality in your home is on the up-and-up.

Here are five ways to improve your indoor air quality:

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Change the air filters

If you want to improve the quality of the air you breathe at home, your No. 1 task is changing the air filters at least once every 30 days on intake vents for your HVAC system.

We’ve given out this very important advice to homeowners for years, and yet all of us neglect doing it regularly. Start out by buying a stack of 12 of one-inch, paper-pleated filters; then put them in a place where it’s convenient to find them. There are no excuses for not buying them; they’re sold everywhere.

Not only will a fresh filter keep dirt and dust out of your home, it will also extend the life of your air conditioner – one of the most expensive appliances you own. “By restricting the air taken in through your vents with a dirty filter, you’re choking the life out of the air handler in your system,” Jeff Carmichael of Reeis Air Conditioning in Phoenix told us.

AC experts also recommend against using super static filters – even washable ones, because the system won’t breathe properly with these filters in place.

Have the AC cleaned

Your air conditioner should also be cleaned regularly by a trained technician. You need an expert for the job because many AC components may need to be removed for cleaning and then reassembled. This process will get rid of dust, mold and pollen that could diminish air quality. Once the indoor coil and drain pan have been cleaned properly, all that needs doing is keeping up with regular filter changing. Indoor coil cleaning isn’t required for another five to 10 years if you are replacing air filters regularly.

Have ductwork professionally cleaned and resealed

This will help prevent dust and allergens from entering your house due to leaky ducts. Almost all homes have duct problems of one kind of another. The cleaning should only be done as part of a thorough cleaning of your entire AC system by a certified expert.

Make the return vent bigger or add more vents

In some homes, vents can be too small for the house. Return vents can easily be resized or you can add new vents.

Install UV lights to “scrub” the air in your AC

If you want to do more to improve air quality, install an air scrubber plus air purifier above your indoor air handler, which may be located in an attic or closet. This device uses germicidal UV light wave technology to remove such pollutants as cigarette smoke, dust and pollen, mold, odor-causing bacteria, and pet and cooking odors. There are other whole house systems that can be installed as well. Even rooftop AC units can have purifiers installed.