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Why Indoor Air Quality is Important to You

Why Indoor Quality Is Important

Why Indoor Quality Is Important

Consider this, according to the EPA (epa.gov), indoor air quality is five times worse than outdoor air quality. Most homeowners know that indoor air quality is important, but not all recognize what contributes to poor indoor air quality, the potential effects and harm, and how to address these problems. Broan is here to help. For more than 80 years, Broan has led the industry with residential ventilation solutions that improve indoor air quality and provide healthier home environments.

Contributors to Poor Indoor Air Quality

  1. Moisture - Moisture that is not properly ventilated can cause mildew and mold formation, which can potentially lead to structural problems and health problems. Exhaust ventilation solutions from Broan remove humidity at the source to help maintain the optimal humidity balance of 40 to 60 percent.
     
  2. Cooking effluents - Cooking effluents from food preparation can infiltrate the whole house in minutes. Grease, oils and aromas settle permanently into carpets, furniture, clothing and other surfaces. Kitchen ventilation solutions help eliminate cooking effluents for a cleaner, more comfortable and healthier environment.
     
  3. Off-gassing - Off-gassing from construction materials, carpeting, adhesives and synthetic materials—as well as solvents from common household cleaners—can accumulate in tightly built homes. Look to Broan for continuous ventilation solutions that meet ASHRAE 62.2.
     
  4. Particulates -  Particulates from dust, allergens, pet dander, and more can contribute to poor indoor air quality up to 100 times dirtier than outside air. With a properly ventilated home, you create a more enjoyable, comfortable and healthier environment.
     

Knowledge Library

Articles

The importance of Kitchen Ventilation to keep your family safe

The importance of Kitchen Ventilation to keep your family safe

The importance of Kitchen Ventilation to keep your family safe Did you know that cooking can be a major source of home air pollution? Many believe that "blue flames" are clean-burning natural gas but emit various pollutants. These include carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, which are toxic to people and pets.   A study by Stanford University found that cooking with gas st...

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Maximize Your Energy Savings with Broan-NuTone®

Maximize Your Energy Savings with Broan-NuTone®

Maximize Your Energy Savings with Broan-NuTone® Whether you’re a single-family home builder or contractor, if you’re not building to new ENERGY STAR v3.2 requirements, you may be missing out on significant Tax Credits. The Inflation Reduction Act revised and extended the 45L Energy Efficient Tax Credit with the intent to reward builders striving to deliver more energy-effi...

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When is the Right Time to Change Your Range Hood Filter?

When is the Right Time to Change Your Range Hood Filter?

When is the right time to change your range hood filter?  Range hood filters are crucial for your kitchen ventilation system, capturing grease, smoke, and odors to keep your air clean and protect kitchen finishes. Regular maintenance, including cleaning and replacing the filter, ensures your range hood operates efficiently and lasts longer. Let's explore when to replace your filter,...

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What is the SRE and why are we talking about it?

What is the SRE and why are we talking about it?

What is the SRE and why are we talking about it?  The Sensible Recovery Efficiency (SRE) quantifies the amount of heat recovered by the incoming fresh air from the exhaust air. It is reported as a percentage of the total heat that is available for recovery.   There’s a range of sensible recovery efficiency offered in the marketplace from the most affordable at around ...

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Meet 2021 Washington Energy Code Requirements with Broan

Meet 2021 Washington Energy Code Requirements with Broan

Meet 2021 Washington Energy Code Requirements with Broan  Broan Heat / Energy Recovery Ventilators (HRVs / ERVs) represent the most efficient way to ventilate and prevent energy loss when compared to other solutions.   Broan’s line of HRVs and ERVs:  Meet ASHRAE 62.2 - 2010 Required Continuous Ventilation Rate (CFM). ​         &n...

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Worried About Air Quality Risks in Your Kitchen? Here’s How Proper Ventilation Can Keep You Healthy and Stress-Free

Worried About Air Quality Risks in Your Kitchen? Here’s How Proper Ventilation Can Keep You Healthy and Stress-Free

Worried About Air Quality Risks in Your Kitchen? Here’s How Proper Ventilation Can Keep You Healthy and Stress-Free Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash If you’re worried about indoor air quality and its effects on your health, you’re not alone. The facts are stacking up, and it turns out that what we’re breathing in our homes has a major impact on our short- and ...

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Airborne Transmission

Airborne Transmission

Good Indoor Air Quality During COVID  Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash     There's a lot of stuff floating around in the air in our homes. Allergens, dander, dust mites, VOCs, chemicals from our household cleaners, mold, bacteria and other particulates. Some of these are just part of life. Plants release pollen, moisture builds up during a shower, dogs and cats slough ...

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The love-hate relationship with the microwave

The love-hate relationship with the microwave

The love-hate relationship with the microwave Where should you place your microwave in your kitchen?   Microwaves are found in 90% of kitchens because they cook food quickly and are simple to operate. But as we become more health conscious, we are paying attention to the air in our homes. Unfortunately, over the range microwaves can have significant negative impact on our ...

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Reduce Exposure to Covid

Reduce Exposure to Covid

5 Things You Can do in Your Home to Reduce Exposure to COVID-19   Collectively, we’ve learned a lot about the air we breathe. 2020 made us really think about how we conduct our lives from how often we wash our hands – and for how long – to how close we stand next to someone. We fret over how tall our office cubicle walls are and how close we’re standing next to o...

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What is a Sone and How Can You Improve Yours?

What is a Sone and How Can You Improve Yours?

What is a Sone and How Can You Improve Yours? By Pete Schrader Associate Product Manager Before I started working at Broan-NuTone®, exhaust ventilation crossed my mind exactly one time in 24 years. I was staying in a hotel, traveling for my previous job, and I went into the bathroom to take a shower. Much to my chagrin, as I flicked on the bathroom fan, there was no change in noise, no...

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Range Hood Style

Range Hood Style

How to Choose the Right Range Hood for Your Kitchen: A Comprehensive Guide [April 3, 2023] If you're remodeling your kitchen or building a new home, installing a range hood is essential. You likely already have a range hood or a microwave over your range. [Quick note, we call it a range, but you might call it a stove. In either case, we're talking about the cooking surface you use ...

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Videos

Latest News Releases

SurfaceShield Disinfection Technology

SurfaceShield Disinfection Technology

Product combines Vyv™ antimicrobial light technology for continuous disinfection with Broan-NuTone’s existing ventilation technology to improve the cleanliness of bathrooms

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Let There Be Light: Instantly Update the Ambiance of Your Space

Let There Be Light: Instantly Update the Ambiance of Your Space

Broan is proud to introduce the LED Grille Upgrade – the fastest DIY LED lighted upgrade. Upgrade non-lighted or tired incandescent bath fan into a sleek, illuminating LED fan/light

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Flex DC Series Bath Fan/Lights

Flex DC Series Bath Fan/Lights

Broan® Launches Most Flexible, Most Efficient Exhaust Fan Platform on The Market; Flex DC is truly flexible to any installation challenge

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Broan-NuTone Awarded ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award for the Fourth Year

Broan-NuTone Awarded ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award for the Fourth Year

Broan-NuTone offers a wide-variety of ENERGY STAR certfied products including models with bright, efficient LED lighting that earned the ENERGY STAR 2022 Most Efficient status.

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ERV & HRV Performance Calculator

ERV & HRV Performance Calculator

This easy-to -navigate tool allows you to input energy performance data for your North American project applications. It verifies compliance to ASHRAE 90.1 while providing performance data based on your project location, design conditions, and specified model.

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Allowable Duct Length Calculator

Allowable Duct Length Calculator

This easy-to-use, flexible tool calculates maximum allowable duct length to hit a given delivered cfm airflow level based on basic inputs: CFM required, fan model, duct diameter, duct type (flex or rigid) and number of elbows. 

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Attic Ventilation Estimating Tool

Attic Ventilation Estimating Tool

Use this tool to estimate the ventilation needs for your attic and get a list of Broan attic ventilation product that will meet your needs.

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Range Hood Make-Up Air Damper Specifier

Range Hood Make-Up Air Damper Specifier

With our Make-Up Air Specifier tool you can specify equipment designed to provide for the home’s Make-Up air needs and designed to be compliant with the latest codes and regulations. Use this tool to make your specification job easier.

As a rule of thumb most codes require make-up air at 400 CFM of range hood exhaust (HVI rating at 0.1” static pressure).

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Find the Upgrade That Fits Your Fan

Find the Upgrade That Fits Your Fan

Use our Bath Fan Wizard to fit the right upgrade grille/cover to turn your current fan into a quiet odor eliminator, a light, a Bluetooth speaker, or even a piece of décor.

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