How Does Your Heating Affect Indoor Air Quality?

Whilst we’re all very aware of the risks of pollution that are outside of our homes, all too often we don’t pay any attention to the quality of air that’s circulating inside our homes. However, when you consider how much time we spend indoors, which is in fact the majority of our time, you can see why indoor air quality is so important.

What are the risks of poor indoor air quality?

Poor indoor air quality in the home can cause health problems that you may notice through symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. If you’re exposed to seriously polluted indoor air over a long period of time, this could also lead to more serious health concerns such as respiratory diseases.

It’s also known to create an all-around less pleasant environment for the home. Homes that are well-ventilated with a balanced airflow are a lot more enjoyable to live in than homes that lack good ventilation and airflow.

What affects indoor air quality?

Indoor air quality can be affected by a range of factors including chemicals from cleaning products, dust from building materials and mould and allergens. However, another key factor that is often overlooked, is your choice of heating method.

Why is your choice of heating method important?

Humid, poorly ventilated environments create the perfect environment for indoor air pollutants to grow, and that’s exactly the kind of environment that central heating radiators create. Traditional radiators heat the room via convection. This causes heat to rise, bringing with it any moisture, dust and particles that are trapped in the radiator and causing them to circulate around the room. These kinds of radiators do not distribute heat evenly around the home, but rather create hot and cold spots. Not only is this an inefficient use of energy, it also encourages the growth of mold and spores, which are harmful when breathed in. As we rely on our heating for so much of the year, particularly during the winter months, you can see why it’s so important to choose a heating system that promotes positive indoor air quality.

How to improve indoor air quality

Choosing the right heating method is crucial to creating a healthy indoor environment in your home. Heating systems that promote positive indoor air quality include:

• Underfloor heating: Unlike traditional radiators that create hot and cold spots, underfloor heating provides an even distribution of heat to the home, at a comfortable temperature. This prevents moisture and particles from being circulated through hot air, as happens with traditional radiators and instead creates a comfortable distribution of heat.
• Heat Recovery Unit: A heat recovery system is a ventilation system that recovers stale air from wet rooms in the house (kitchen, bathroom, etc.), filters it, and transfers it as clean air to the rest of the property. The system works to expel the pollutant air quickly and efficiently, whilst supplying the recovered, clean air to the rest of the property. This promotes balanced air ventilation within the house to improve indoor air quality.
• Low-temperature radiators: We’ve emphasised the negative impacts that conventional radiators can have on indoor air quality. However, if you would like to install radiators in your home that won’t jeopardise the air quality, you should opt for low-temperature radiators. Unlike conventional radiators that require the water supply to be as hot at 80°C, low-temperature radiators only require a water supply as low as 30 to 55°C. As they do not reach excessively high temperatures this prevents the creation of scorch marks that can irritate airways. They also produce less powerful air flows in your home, creating an even distribution of heat whilst preventing dust particles from becoming suspended in the air.

To hear more about the Pipelife services that can help to improve the indoor air quality in your home, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.