Why Indoor Air Quality Matters More in Winter

When winter hits Omaha, the air inside your home changes. The windows stay shut, the furnace runs nonstop, and the same air keeps moving through the house. It starts to feel heavier after a while. Dry. Dusty. Sometimes you can smell it when you first walk in. This is why monitoring indoor air quality is crucial during colder months.

Most people notice it without realizing what’s going on. You wake up with a dry throat or your skin feels rough no matter how much lotion you use. The static shocks start showing up when you touch a light switch. That is not just the weather outside. It is your indoor air quality.

How Winter Affects the Air Inside Your Omaha Home

Cold weather means sealed homes. That helps keep the heat in but traps the air that is already inside. Fresh air stops coming in, and the furnace keeps cycling the same air through the ducts. Dust, pet hair, and leftover pollen from fall all stay in circulation.

In older Omaha homes, you will see this first around vents or baseboards. Dust collects faster, and warm air from the registers feels dry on your face. In newer homes, you may not see it, but you feel it. The air feels still, and breathing can get uncomfortable after a while.

Omaha’s freeze-and-thaw cycle makes it worse. The humidity outside drops fast when temperatures dive, and then the furnace dries out what little moisture remains. Floors creak, wood furniture cracks slightly, and you may even notice a thin layer of condensation forming on windows in the morning. Some families call us because their kids wake up congested every day once the heat starts running.

When the air gets that dry, it starts to affect everything in the house. Your sinuses tighten, electronics build static, and dust lingers in the air.

Common Signs of Poor Indoor Air Quality

You can usually tell when the air inside is not right. Here are a few common signs Omaha homeowners notice during the heating season:

• Dry skin and scratchy throats
• More dust on furniture and vents
• Stale or musty smells that linger
• More coughing or sneezing than usual
• Rooms that never seem to stay comfortable

Sometimes you will notice wooden doors or floors shrinking slightly. That is the air pulling moisture from everything it touches. It is subtle, but by midwinter most homes show the same symptoms.

HVAC Solutions for Cleaner Air This Season

Improving indoor air quality does not take a major remodel. It is about helping your system move and clean the air more effectively.

Start with a humidifier.

A whole-home humidifier attaches directly to your furnace and adds moisture as the air circulates. It keeps humidity balanced through every room, not just one space. The air feels warmer and easier to breathe, and static starts to disappear.

Add an air purifier.

Air purifiers capture fine dust, allergens, and even bacteria that standard filters miss. When used with a humidifier, the purifier keeps the air cleaner and the humidity helps trap particles so they cannot stay airborne. The two systems work best together.

Use a better filter.

A clean, high-efficiency furnace filter traps smaller particles and keeps the blower running freely. It also helps the furnace work less, which can lower energy use through the winter. If it has been a while since you changed your filter, start there.

Keep up with maintenance.

A yearly tune-up removes buildup from the blower and ductwork and catches small airflow problems before they spread. Clean equipment runs quieter, uses less energy, and moves cleaner air through the house.

How Getzschman Improves Home Comfort Year-Round

At Getzschman, we work in every type of home around Omaha. Older houses near Dundee, newer builds in Elkhorn, and everything in between. They all face the same winter problem. The heat stays in, but the air quality drops.

Our technicians start by checking airflow, humidity, and filter condition. From there, we recommend what actually makes sense for your home. Sometimes it is adding a humidifier or purifier. Sometimes it is fixing airflow through a duct that was never sealed right. Sometimes it is just maintenance.

We know how Nebraska’s long cold spells dry out a house. We also know what it feels like when the air is balanced again. You breathe easier, the house feels more comfortable, and the air smells cleaner. That is what good indoor air quality does for a home.

Schedule an indoor air quality inspection with Getzschman before winter sets in.