Winter ills and chills are sure packing a punch this year with high rates of colds and flu already being reported. We’re not even in the thick of it yet, so we need to explore all avenues on how to stay well throughout the season. Air quality should be high on the list.
Few of us would consider the air in our home as a major contributor to winter illness.
But the research has been done and the facts are proven: air quality is a big deal.
We’ve talked about the effects of dampness and mould in previous posts but the truth is, by the time you see mould in your home, the issue has gone too far. Keeping your home’s air clean and fresh can help to prevent dampness and mould altogether.
So while you’re popping vitamins and rugging up warm, stop for a moment and think about the air you breathe.
Although you can’t see it, the air in your home has a much bigger impact on your health than you may realise.
Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there
If we could see airborne viruses, bacteria and allergens, we’d be dodging them left, right and centre. These harmful pathogens can only be detected under a microscope so we have no way of knowing what is present in our homes.
It’s the season for the dreaded flu and this year’s flu strain is said to be severe and very contagious. Even those without flu symptoms could be carrying the illness unknowingly. And, of course, bringing these kinds of illnesses back to an unventilated home is a sure-fire way to spread it throughout the whole family.
Airborne viruses and bacteria love damp, unventilated environments so it’s important to get on top of these issues as soon as you can. Research shows that warm, dry homes are essential to staying healthy.
For asthma sufferers, winter can be a difficult season to get through and air quality is a key factor in minimising symptoms. Dampness and poor ventilation directly affect the respiratory system which is the very thing asthma sufferers need protection from.
Why is illness worse in winter?
Getting sick when you go into cold weather is an old wive’s tale. This is not how illness spreads.
When we look at our habits in the winter time, it’s easy to see why illnesses are worse in winter.
Firstly, we like to rug up warm. We wear more layers and often have clothing closer to our face for extra warmth. These layers trap airborne bacteria which we carry around with us, giving them easy access to our respiratory systems. If the air was clean, we’d have far less risk of being exposed to these pathogens.
We also spend much more time indoors in the winter. We shut the windows, blast the heating and inadvertently provide the best environment for bacteria and viruses to thrive.
We breathe about 14,000 litres of air each day. This alone is reason enough to want to ensure the air we’re breathing is clean.
No wonder air quality is so important for staying healthy!
Improve your home’s air quality and get better health this winter
We want to achieve two simple things in the winter: to stay warm and to stay healthy.
But how?
The answer is with a Mitsubishi Electric heat pump. Through this one device, you can filter the bad stuff from the air all while keeping your home warm and well-ventilated. While other heating systems have been found to worsen your home’s air quality, Mitsubishi Electric heat pumps do the opposite – they improve it! Even the tiniest particles are trapped by the filters which not only cleanses the air, it deodorises it as well.
The filtration system in a heat pump is where most of the hard work will be done. The filters catch harmful pathogens, preventing them from being released into your air. As long as you make the effort to clean your filters every couple of weeks, your heat pump will continue to purify your air and deliver only clean, fresh air to you.
And this is all while keeping you warm and using less energy than other heating methods!
It may seem too good to be true, but it’s not.
Mitsubishi Electric has worked tirelessly to create a healthy, energy efficient heating source.
The air we breathe is a major contributor to how healthy we stay in the winter time. While we can’t see what’s in our air, without adequate ventilation and filtration, it’s safe to say your home’s air quality could use some improvement.
The right kind of heating is a good place to start and we can arrange prompt heat pump installation for you. Call us today.
