Wildfire smoke from Canada recently blanketed the eastern United States, turning New Jersey and Pennsylvania into apocalyptic-looking landscapes with ominous orange skies. The wildfire smoke created “hazardous levels” of air pollution in our service area, and health officials urged local residents to stay indoors to avoid breathing in the smoke.
How bad is wildfire smoke for you? According to the CDC, it can make you cough, create headaches, trigger asthma attacks, and much more. High risk groups, like older adults, pregnant women, children, and people with preexisting respiratory and heart conditions, are even more likely to get sick.
When wildfire smoke events occur, many homeowners wonder just how safe they are in their homes. Obviously, you should keep windows closed, but are there other specific ways to keep wildfire smoke out of a house? Should you run your air conditioner during smoke events? How do you ensure you have a truly healthy home?
Here are three tips for using your HVAC system when there is very poor outdoor air quality, like smoke from a wildfire.
1. Close Off Your Dampers to Stop Fresh Air Intake
One of the first steps to protect your indoor air quality during wildfire smoke is to close off the dampers in your HVAC system, if your system has a fresh air intake. Dampers, if you have them installed, are responsible for bringing in fresh outdoor air into your home. By closing these dampers, you can prevent the entry of smoke-filled air from outside. Some systems have a “recirculate air” mode that you can activate on your thermostat as well.
You CAN use your central AC when it’s smoky outside, but only if you’re sure that your system isn’t letting outdoor air into your home. If you aren’t sure, try to avoid using your AC if possible.
2. Turn Off Any AC Window Units
If you have window units or portable air conditioners, it is recommended to turn them off during periods of heavy wildfire smoke. These units often draw in outdoor air through a damper, and even if they have filters, they may not be effective at removing fine particulate matter present in the smoke. By turning off window units, you prevent the circulation of outdoor air and reduce the infiltration of smoke into your home. Some high end window units have outdoor air switches so make sure these are in the “off” position.
3. Avoid Using Exhaust Fans which will bring in Outdoor Air
Exhaust fans or vent hoods, typically found in bathrooms and kitchens, are designed to remove odors, moisture, and indoor pollutants by blowing them outdoors. However, during periods of wildfire smoke, don’t use these fans. Exhaust fans can create negative air pressure inside your home that will draw in smoky outdoor air through air leaks in your home’s building envelope.
How to Purify Air from Wildfire Smoke With Princeton Air’s Indoor Air Quality Solutions
The first step towards ensuring you have safe and healthy indoor air during a wildfire event is to make it difficult for outdoor air to get inside. Upgraded insulation and air sealing will help create a tighter seal between the inside and outside of your house. But there are also mechanical solutions as well that can actively target a range of air pollutants that have already made their way inside, including smoke particles. These include:
- Special HEPA air filters (with a very high MERV rating)
- Air purifiers (like the Aerus Air Scrubber) installed inside your HVAC system to remove pollutants from circulating indoor air
With a combination of proactive measures and IAQ upgrades to your New Jersey, central Pennsylvania or southeastern Pennsylvania home, you can keep your home safer and healthier. Talk to Princeton Air about today to make sure your HVAC system will protect you from wildfire smoke the next time there’s an event in our area.
