Most of us don’t give much thought to the quality of the air inside our homes until we find ourselves in a hot, stuffy, crowded room. But it’s important to consider air quality, especially when it comes to the air inside of our homes.

Ventilation can help improve indoor air quality by removing pollutants from the home and by bringing in fresh air from outside. This is especially important when renovating or when using chemical products.

In your home, there are two types of ventilation: natural and mechanical. Natural ventilation is when air moves between the inside and outside through open windows, doors, chimneys, vents or cracks in the walls. An older, draftier home may have higher natural ventilation rates than new homes that are tightly built to comply with current codes and standards.

Mechanical ventilation refers to air flows created by fans, ducts and designed openings in the house. This includes kitchen and bathroom fans, as well as more complex systems such as heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) or energy recovery ventilators (ERVs).

• To ensure you maintain good indoor air quality, proper ventilation is key. Spring, summer, winter or fall, be sure to follow these simple steps so you and your family can continue to breathe easily:
• Open windows, when possible.
• Let bathroom fans run during and after showering or bathing.
• Run your kitchen fan when cooking.
• Set your mechanical ventilation system to a high setting, letting it run longer than normal, or, if necessary, have your ventilation system checked by a qualified ventilation contractor.
• Use an HRV or an ERV if you have one, or retrofit one into your home.
• Use your furnace fan or, if necessary, a separate fan or air supply to make sure air is distributed throughout the home.

Find more information at canada.ca/healthy-home.