How to Protect Your Home from Winter Air Pollutants

Winter is a time for cozy evenings, roaring fireplaces, and warm, heated homes. But as we hunker down during the colder months, our indoor air quality can suffer in ways we might not expect. With windows tightly shut to keep out the chill and heating systems working overtime, a host of pollutants can build up, affecting the air we breathe.

Want to know how to keep your home safe this winter? In this guide, we’ll explore common risks for winter air pollutants and share 6 practical solutions to keep your home comfortable, efficient, and healthy this season.

1. The Risk: Fireplace Soot and Smoke

A crackling fireplace is a hallmark of winter, offering warmth and ambiance. However, it can also significantly harm indoor air quality. Burning wood releases particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. These tiny soot particles will irritate your lungs, aggravate respiratory conditions, and contribute to poor indoor air quality.

The Solution:

Schedule Regular Chimney Cleanings: This reduces creosote buildup, which not only improves air quality but also decreases the risk of chimney fires.
Choose the Right Firewood: Hardwoods like oak, hickory, maple, beech, and ash are denser and burn hotter and longer than softwoods, resulting in more efficient combustion and fewer emissions. More information about different types of wood and how they burn.
Ensure Proper Seasoning: Burn only wood that has been properly seasoned, with a moisture content below 20%. Burning wet or green wood produces more smoke and pollutants.
Avoid Softwoods and Treated Wood: Softwoods such as pine and cedar contain resins that can produce more smoke and creosote. Never burn painted, stained, or pressure-treated wood, as they can release toxic chemicals.
Install Pleated Air Filters: Filterbuy’s MERV-rated air filters trap particles released from fireplace use, ensuring cleaner, healthier indoor air. If you’re looking for superior filtration from fireplace soot and smoke, opt for a MERV 11 or higher. If the smell from the smoke bothers you, an Odor Eliminator filter removes odor, VOCs, and 90% of airborne particulate matter with activated carbon.

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2. The Risk: Efficient Homes and Less Outdoor Air Exchange

Drafty homes are a major problem during the winter months, especially in older houses with insufficient insulation. Gaps around windows, doors, and poorly sealed attics allow cold air to infiltrate and warm air to escape. This forces heating systems to work harder, increasing energy consumption and costs while reducing comfort.

The Solution:

Seal Air Leaks:Hire a contractor to identify and seal gaps around windows, doors, and other entry points.
Upgrade Insulation: Focus on areas like attics, walls, and basements to improve your home’s ability to retain heat. More information about home insulation.
Consider Energy-Efficient Windows: Modern windows are better at preventing drafts and heat loss, reducing strain on your heating system.
Use Filters to Improve Efficiency: Clean air filters, like those from Filterbuy, help your HVAC system run more efficiently by ensuring smooth airflow.
Home Efficiency Audit: Check with your state for available rebates or subsidies for home energy efficiency audits. These audits assess your indoor and outdoor air exchange rate and help optimize your home's air sealing to achieve the ideal balance for comfort, energy efficiency, and air quality.

3. The Risk: Furnace Pollutants

Furnaces are a lifeline during winter, but they can also be a source of indoor air pollutants. Older models, in particular, may emit carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter. These pollutants not only reduce air quality but also pose serious health risks, especially for individuals with respiratory issues.

The Solution:

Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector: This is crucial for monitoring potentially dangerous levels of CO and protecting your household.
Change Your Air Filters Regularly: Clogged filters reduce your furnace’s efficiency and allow more dust and allergens to circulate. High-efficiency MERV filters effectively trap pollutants to clean the air in your home, no matter the season.
Consider Upgrading to a New Furnace: Modern energy-efficient furnaces produce fewer pollutants and operate more effectively.

4. The Risk: A Dirty or Unmaintained Furnace

A neglected furnace can become a breeding ground for dust, debris, and other pollutants. Over time, this buildup clogs filters and reduces your furnace's efficiency, forcing it to work harder and use more energy. The result? Higher energy bills and increased carbon emissions—not to mention dirtier indoor air.

The Solution:

Schedule Routine Maintenance: Regular furnace cleanings improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and extend the lifespan of your system.
Replace Filters on Time: Dirty filters make your furnace work harder and decrease indoor air quality. Using high-quality pleated air filters keeps your system running smoothly while improving the air you breathe.

5. The Risk: Off-Gassing From Home Products

Most household products and items produce off-gasses, believe it or not. Off-gasses like VOCs have both short-term and long-term health effects, which we’ll explain later.

The Solution:

Furniture: Choose solid wood furniture over composite material. MDF or particleboard often emit formaldehyde.
Carpets: Look for low-emission carpets, or brands certified by Carpet and Rug Institute's Green Label Plus.
Paints and Finishes: Use only low-VOC or zero-VOC paints and sealants for your home.
Household Cleaning Products: Switch to non-toxic, natural cleaning supplies that avoid harsh chemicals. Many traditional cleaning agents can off-gas harmful VOCs.
Air Out New Items: When bringing new furniture, rugs, or other items into your home, let them off-gas outside or in a well-ventilated area for a few days before use.

6. Additional Consideration: Heat Pumps vs. Traditional Furnaces

Heat pumps are an energy-efficient alternative to traditional furnaces, offering both heating and cooling capabilities. Unlike gas or oil furnaces, heat pumps don’t rely on combustion, which means they produce fewer indoor air pollutants. If you’re considering upgrading your heating system, a heat pump may be worth exploring for its environmental and air quality benefits.

Pro Tip: Even with a heat pump, clean air filters are essential to maintain efficiency and indoor air quality. Filterbuy’s filters are compatible with a wide range of systems and help reduce dust, allergens, and other pollutants.

Indoor Air Pollution Does a Number on Your Body

Why does reducing your exposure to winter air pollutants matter? Indoor air pollution can cause a range of short-term and long-term effects on the body, some that we may not even realize come from the air we breathe! Being aware of indoor air pollution and the ways to keep it clear is an important issue, especially when we spend more time inside in the colder months.

Short-Term Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollution

Indoor air pollution can lead to short-term health effects, including coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, or throat irritation caused by chemicals like formaldehyde or benzene. VOC exposure can cause watery eyes, itching, and skin rashes, and chemicals like toluene or xylene can cause queasiness, especially in sensitive individuals.

Long-Term Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollution

Prolonged exposure to indoor air pollutants can worsen asthma, contribute to chronic respiratory conditions, and lead to neurological effects like difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and memory issues due to neurotoxic VOCs. Certain VOCs, such as phthalates, may disrupt hormones and impact endocrine health, while long-term exposure to carcinogens like formaldehyde and benzene increases the risk of cancer.

A Cleaner, Healthier Winter with New Air Filters

While winter comes with unique indoor air quality challenges, the right strategies can make a huge difference. From sealing up drafts to maintaining your furnace, there are practical steps you can take to protect your home from winter air pollutants.
High-quality, pleated air filters from Filterbuy can enhance these efforts, trapping pollutants and helping your HVAC system run efficiently.

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