CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Poor air quality is still persisting throughout the region for the third straight day.
You can still run your AC when air quality is bad, but only do so if it’s re-circulating inside air.
When it’s smoky outside, as it has been the past few days, air conditioners that pull air from outside can bring fine particulate matter from the smoke into your home, which can have negative health effects.
Steve Nelson of Hurley and David Air Conditioning Plumbing and Heating, spoke with 22News, about what to do if you have a traditional whole house AC system. “This time of year you might not need to use the heating capacity or the cooling capacity but you can still put it on to circulate the air and have the filter in that system, filter out some of the larger particles that might be causing your lungs some irritation,” Nelson says.
Hurley and David recommends to clean your air filters every so often, especially during moments like these when they’re most likely picking up more pollutants than normal.
You can also buy an air purifier and purifiers with HEPA filters are recommended while there is poor air quality, especially if you are immunocompromised.