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Love is in the air when you monitor your home's air quality

House cross-section in teal and white in front of a faded teal heart with "love is in the air" above it in burgundy cursive

Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you’ve been struck by Cupid’s bow or not, maintaining the air quality in your home always gives you something pleasant to look forward to. Use these tips to make sure your home has great air quality on this special day of love and all year long.

Keep your inside air fresh with furnace humidifier maintenance

Your furnace humidifier is an often-overlooked part of your HVAC system, but maintaining it is easy and can make you much more comfortable in your own home. Follow these furnace humidifier maintenance tips to address the following concerns:

  • Allergies
  • Itchy or dry skin
  • Warped wood
  • Cracked wallpaper

Stay breezy – take care of your whole house fan

If you’re looking for a straightforward and environmentally friendly way to keep your home cool, giving your existing whole house fan a good clean may be just the ticket. Follow these 7 steps to keep it in great condition.

  • Step 1: Turn off the power supply (safety first!) and remove the cover or grill
  • Step 2: Vacuum the louvers and blades and remove dust with your vacuum’s brush attachment
  • Step 3: Change any filters your whole house fan uses by following owner’s manual instructions
  • Step 4: Apply a mild cleaner, such as a gentle all-purpose cleaner or a mild dish soap, to a microfiber cloth
  • Step 5: Wipe the blades and the cover, if your whole house fan has one (avoid wiping down the motor!)
  • Step 6: Replace the cover and let the blades fully dry to prevent water from spinning onto the motor

Stop drafts to keep the good air in

Whether you’re looking to enjoy a warm evening indoors or cooling off from the heat, fixing drafty windows and doors can help you balance your home’s temperature, helping you save on energy costs. Consider these steps to reduce or eliminate drafts in your home:

  • Stop air from wafting through your windows with heavy drapes or a window insulation kit
  • If you can’t remove your window air conditioning unit(s), capture that lost air with an A/C cover
  • Use a draft snake or door sweep to stop climate-controlled air from dancing through your front door

Get familiar with your fireplace

What’s more romantic than spending time by the fireplace? Get cozy in front of a fireplace that’s well maintained with these 4 top gas fireplace maintenance tips.

  • Clean your chimney professionally and have it inspected at least annually
  • Test your carbon monoxide detector each month, regardless of planned fireplace usage
  • Find out if your fireplace has a control panel or key valve, and make it easily accessible for adults
  • Know how to safely turn on the pilot light

Pro Tip: If you have an electric fireplace, your fireplace should ignite with a switch.

By using this info as a gift to yourself, you’ll love coming home and breathing easy! What other ways do you love on the air quality in your home? Visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram to tell us your thoughts!