March Madness can mean a lot of things. Plenty of businesses offer March Madness specials, with “insane” price cuts. Some refer to March Madness as the frenzy that can influence people to embark on some intense Spring Cleaning.
However, more than anything else, March Madness is the bracket fever that infects most of the country, as college basketball undergoes the road to crowning its national champion. Victory and defeat make March a roller coaster. However, that’s not the only madness that comes this time of year.
With flowers blooming and pollen and dust falling, our air quality and HVAC systems also undergo their own kind of March Madness. Being cognizant of these tips can improve the air quality both inside and out.
Minimize Emissions With a Carpool
One of the biggest impacts that we have on our carbon footprint every day is our car. Unless we are Prius drivers, our cars let out plenty of emissions into the air.
While carpooling is always a good idea, it can be particularly beneficial during Springtime when the air quality already has a propensity to be poor. Having fewer cars on the road will create a lower amount of emissions, keeping the air quality clean.
This may sound like it would only impact your outdoor air quality but it can affect your HVAC too. Your HVAC system filters the air from outside. The cleaner your outdoor air is, the cleaner you indoor air will be and the less hard your HVAC system will have to work.
Smoking Indoors is a Big No-No
If you ask most medical professionals, smoking at all is a big no-no, as it’s exceptionally unhealthy for your lungs. However, for those who still choose to smoke, it does a world of good to your HVAC system to do it outside.
This allows the smoke and the unhealthy particles to escape into the outside air and dissipate quickly. When you smoke inside, it immediately circulates through your house, forcing your HVAC system to attempt to deal with the pollutants. Simply put, smoking outside is an absolute necessity for your indoor air quality.
Monitor & Clean Your Dehumidifier
It’s not the south without some humidity, so many of us have a dehumidifier to keep the moisture out of our air at home. As the seasons change, these devices often need to work overtime as the temperatures warm up.
However, if you don’t carefully monitor your dehumidifier, it can become full and dirty. This doesn’t allow the dehumidifier to do its job properly and can help circulate contaminants in your air.
To make matters worse, that excess use can also shorten the lifespan of the unit. And because no homeowners want to replace any appliances, especially when they need it most, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your dehumidifier.
Whatever March Madness is for you (and we all experience it in our own ways), don’t forget about your HVAC system this time of year. If you have questions or want to perform any maintenance, please call an expert at Albritton Services at (318) 251-0885 and we’ll be happy to help.
