Staying warm during the winter is challenging enough without having to battle cold and flu season as well. While good habits such as washing hands, eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise and rest go a long way to ward off these seasonal ailments, another way to keep from getting the flu is by maintaining proper control of your indoor environment. This article will highlight your HVAC system’s often overlooked but critical role in keeping you and your family healthy and strong during flu season.
HVAC systems freshen the air inside your home
Outdoors is not the only place to find fresh air. When your HVAC system works at peak capacity, it also keeps the air inside your home clean and fresh. This is done through the HVAC’s ventilation system, which introduces air into your home that is not only healthy to breathe but also temperature-controlled for ideal comfort. And energy recovery keeps you from running up your energy bills whenever you turn up the temperature!
HVAC systems help your body stay warm in the winter
Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures weakens our body’s immune system. Using your HVAC system to maintain a comfortably warm temperature will in turn keep your body warm enough to ward off those cold and flu germs that can keep you miserable and unable to get out of bed for a couple of weeks or more.
HVAC systems lock many germs out of the house
Proper maintenance of your furnace equipment and regular changing of the filters can drastically cut down on the dust that gets into your home, and some filters are made to filter out certain germs and contaminants as well. The result of these steps is cleaner air, which reduces your chance of developing cold and flu symptoms to begin with. But if sickness happens, your home’s cleaner air greatly reduces the severity of your symptoms and speeds up your recovery time.
HVAC systems take out excessive moisture that breeds germs
Excess moisture plus warm temperatures equal an ideal environment for germs to grow. The best way to keep the moisture down is by properly ventilating your home with exhaust fans in bathrooms and the kitchen where humidity tends to accumulate, which can lead to health issues. Taking moisture out through proper ventilation not only helps to keep you from getting the cold or flu but also safeguards you from a variety of other germs that can make you sick as well.
HVAC systems can introduce moisture to maintain a proper balance of humidity
Just like air with excessive moisture, air that is too dry can create health problems as well, such as certain respiratory ailments and dehydration. Your HVAC system works to strike the correct balance between dryness and moisture, but excessive dryness can be addressed by connecting a humidifier to the system. Adding a humidifier to your system will keep you from having a dry nose, getting dehydrated or developing any respiratory ailments.
HVAC systems maintain ideal comfort levels in the home
The bare minimum you should be able to expect from your HVAC system is that it keeps you comfortable, and your home’s ideal comfort level is created through a properly controlled indoor environment. Increased comfort leads to lower levels of stress, and reduced stress helps your body’s immune system stay in proper working order. Proper maintenance of your HVAC system is the best way to prevent uncomfortable environmental imbalances that allow cold and flu germs to thrive and compromise the defenses your body needs to fight them
If you would like to lower your chances of getting sick this cold and flu season, and you live in High Point, Greensboro, Winston-Salem or the surrounding areas, give Eanes Heating and Air Conditioning a call today to schedule a maintenance visit or talk to one or our contractors about upgrading your home’s HVAC system.