Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/1188714
Healthy Indoors | 37 a steam-vapor machine. Put rags or old towels un- der the fin tubing to protect the flooring and catch the grime. Once you've cleaned the convectors in this way, you need only wipe the covers before or shortly after turning the heat on. Convector covered with biodegradable dust May Indoor Air Investigations LLC • If you have an air-to-air heat exchanger in your home, follow the manufacturer's directions for cleaning; fil- ters should be cleaned several times a year. A poorly maintained unit can become a source of mold spores! • Upgrade filtration in an air-to-air heat exchanger. Re- move the existing filters and install two Fantech FB6 in-line filter boxes: one for the fresh-air intake and one for the house-air intake. Replace the MERV-12 filters that come with the FB6 with MERV-8 filters. Vacation Homes • If you own a vacation home, whether a condo at the base of a ski area or a spot near the beach or a lake, you may use the property primarily during the sum- mer, on weekends and holidays, or during school va- cations. In such circumstances, it is all too common that people turn the air conditioning or heat down the rest of the year. This can lead to elevated relative hu- midity and mold growth. I inspected one home that sat on a bluff overlooking the ocean. The views were dramatic. The owners had bought the home for their future retirement, and until they retired they only occupied it on weekends and vacations. The year they moved into the home on a permanent ba- sis, they both began to experience respiratory symptoms. • Do not use a bagless vacuum unless you intend to empty it outdoors. • If you hire outside cleaners, insist they use your vac- uum and not their own; otherwise, mold spores and pet dander from another home will be emitted into the air in your home. Exhaust Fans: • A bathroom fan that vents into the soffit or attic can result in attic mold growth; be sure your bathroom ex- haust vents directly to the exterior. • Use a kitchen exhaust fan (preferably one that vents to the exterior) when cooking or baking. This will re- duce moisture levels and cooking odors in your home. Excess Humidity: • Air in the winter can feel dry, so people add central humidifiers to their furnace and/or run portable humid- ifiers in bedrooms. The moisture may feel great on your skin, but it also can fuel microbial growth (like bacteria and mold). Monitor the relative humidity and keep it under 40% in above-grade (above ground lev- el) rooms (lower on very cold days). • If you have a wood-burning stove, don't have that pot of water simmering on top hour after hour. Again, this can introduce excess moisture into your home. Mechanical Systems: • Use the best filtration possible (with an efficiency rat- ing of at least a MERV 8; MERV-11 is better) in your hot-air heating and/or central air conditioning system. • If you have a hot-water or steam heating system with a separate central air- conditioning system in the attic, close returns and supplies when you shut down the A/C system for the season. This will help to prevent moist house air from passively flowing into the ducts, providing moisture for mold growth. • Vacuum radiators before turning the heat on. You can use a 36-inch vacuum crevice tool to get to hard-to- reach areas. • Wipe clean the tops of baseboard heating convec- tors. If you've never cleaned the convectors, remove the covers and damp wipe top and bottom cover sur- faces. HEPA vacuum the tops, bottoms and sides of the fins. Then treat them with steam vapor from