Spending More Time Indoors This Winter? Make Sure You’re Breathing Healthy Air

woman sitting on couch with coffee during winter

February 21, 2024

While March is just around the corner, chilly days are still ahead of us in Marin, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties. Cooler winter temperatures and spring showers tend to drive us indoors away from the elements, but did you know that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outside according to the EPA?

At Hassler Heating & Air, we understand the importance of having a healthy home throughout every season of the year. If you’re having indoor air quality (IAQ) issues in your home, give our team a call. We offer several solutions that can remove pollutants and help you breathe easier.

Signs of Poor Indoor Air Quality

It can be difficult to diagnose indoor air quality issues—and determine the source—without proper air quality testing. However, there are several symptoms that you may be experiencing in your home that are telltale signs of poor indoor air quality, including:

Increased asthma and allergy symptoms
Headaches
Dust accumulation
Unpleasant odors
Condensation on glass surfaces
Visible mildew & mold
Stale or stuffy air
Symptoms that go away when you’re not at home

Indoor Air Quality Solutions

Poor indoor air quality can originate from a variety of sources, including your HVAC system or everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning. At Hassler Heating & Air, we can help pinpoint exactly what’s the problem and, depending on the cause, help you find a solution.

Air Sealing

It’s easy for pollutants to find their way into your living spaces when your home has gaps and leaks in its building envelope. Unwanted air movement is a common occurrence in homes throughout the East Bay and can lead to air quality issues as well as high energy bills all year long.

Air sealing is a cost-effective way to close off your home’s building envelope and stop unwanted airflow from contaminating your breathing air. At Hassler, we use both expanding foam and rigid material to seal air leaks, which are often prevalent in attics and crawl spaces.

Air Purification

If you’ve noticed odors or excessive dust in your home and can’t seem to stop sneezing, an air purifier could help bring you some relief. At Hassler Heating & Air, we install a variety of IQAir air purification systems because of their unmatched quality. There are several models of IQAir air purifiers to choose from, which can be either a standalone system or connect directly to your HVAC or ductwork, all of which come with several benefits, including HEPA filtration, state-of-the-art technologies, smart home integration, and more.

Home Recovery Ventilators

Whole-home ventilators extract stale air from your home and provide controlled fresh air distribution to your home while minimizing energy loss. As much as having a properly sealed building envelope is important, it is equally crucial to ventilate to avoid indoor air quality issues. Heat recovery ventilators, also known as HRVs, can remove contaminants from your home, increase comfort, and maximize energy efficiency.

Vapor Barriers

With the Mediterranean climate we experience here in the East Bay, moisture can wreak havoc on our homes. Moisture tends to accumulate in a crawl space or basement, and installing a vapor barrier can keep your home protected. Much of the air we breathe in our homes originates from the crawl space, and any moisture, mold, or pollutants will come with it when present. Vapor barriers are usually made from thick polyethylene and stop moisture from entering your living spaces.

Breathe Easier with Hassler Heating & Air

When it comes to improving indoor air quality, we use a whole-home approach. This means that we consider several factors to find the most effective solution. There’s no one service that can solve these issues, and we utilize our extensive knowledge of building science principles to find which option will work best for your home’s specific needs.