Letting fresh air into your home is essential in maintaining proper ventilation and good indoor air quality. But how much fresh air does your house really need? Furthermore, how can you ensure your home is getting enough fresh air every day? McLay Services, a trusted air conditioning and heating expert, answers these questions below.
How Much Fresh Air Is Enough?
Trying to measure the amount of fresh air to allow inside your home may seem too technical, but there’s a way to do so that’s simple and fairly accurate. You only need to use three temperature measurements:
Outside Air Temperature (OAT) – the temperature of the air entering your HVAC system from the outside.
Return Air Temperature (RAT) – the temperature of the return air entering the equipment.
Mixed Air Temperature (MAT) – the temperature of the air just past the outside air inlet where the return air and the outside air have mixed together.
Using this formula, you can determine the amount of fresh air that your home requires:
Fresh Air % = ((MAT – RAT) / (OAT – RAT)) X 100
Tips on Ensuring Your Home Gets Enough Fresh Air
Give your air conditioning system a rest. Let fresh air enter your home by following these tips:
- Open your window for 15 minutes every day. This will cause the indoor air to warm up, but don’t worry because cooling the room again will only take a few minutes.
- It’s best to open your windows before 10 am or after 9 pm, as there’s less pollution outside during these times.
- Prioritize ventilating your kitchen and bathroom, followed by your bedroom.
McLay Services offers a range of HVAC services including air conditioning repair, duct cleaning, indoor air quality and more. Our team is trained and experienced in various HVAC projects, so you can rest assured that your job will be handled professionally. Call us at (909) 392-2202 or fill out our contact form to request a free quote. We serve customers in Pomona and Claremont, CA.
