How Your Travel Plans Affect Your Indoor Air Quality

For many Bellaire, Texas, homeowners, the holiday season means more travel than usual. No matter how long you’re planning to be away, you want to make sure that your home stays safe and healthy while you’re gone. Learn how your travel plans can affect your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ), and find out how to ensure you return to fresh, clean air.

Set Your Thermostat to Vacation Mode

If you’re expecting the weather to remain relatively mild while you’re away, you might be tempted to shut off your heating system. After all, no one will be home to use the air conditioning. It seems only logical to turn off the system to save energy.

Rather than turning off your HVAC system, the Conditioned Air team recommends that you set the thermostat to vacation mode instead. Maintain a temperature about 10 degrees below the typical setting so you save energy and keep the air circulating at the same time. Keeping the air flowing helps to trap airborne contaminants and improve ventilation.

Consider a Smart Thermostat

The temperature can fluctuate greatly during winters in our area. On some days you might need to use the heater. There are also times when it might feel warm. On occasion, you’ll be fine even if the HVAC system never cycles on at all. A smart thermostat is a lifesaver when you need to monitor fluctuating temperatures while you’re away.

Using your smart thermostat, you will be able to manage indoor temperatures and humidity remotely. You can use your smartphone, tablet or another internet-enabled device to protect your home and ensure ideal conditions when you return.

Keep Your Air Fresh

Just because you’re away from home doesn’t mean your indoor air will stay free of contaminants. In reality, dust, pet dander, mold spores, bacteria, and much more will continue to circulate. Your HVAC system does a lot to keep your indoor air clean. That’s another reason you need to keep your system going even when you are away.

Using the vacation mode on your smart or programmable thermostats will allow you to set and maintain energy-efficient temperatures. You will be able to keep the air circulating and filter contaminants without wasting energy.

Don’t let poor IAQ take over your home. Call the experts at Conditioned Air at (281) 561-6911 to learn more about our IAQ solutions.

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