More people in Sask. turning to air conditioners to avoid wildfire smoke indoors

WATCH: As Sask. summers become hazier with wildfires burning across the prairies, more people are turning to air conditioning to improve indoor air quality.

As Saskatchewan summers become hazier with wildfires burning across the prairies, more people are turning to air conditioning to improve indoor air quality.

“We have been incredibly busy,” said Mike Shaw, the leader of operations at Centennial Plumbing, Heating and Electrical. “We would love to recruit some more great people as service technicians.”

Shaw says Centennial is having trouble keeping up with the number of calls for air conditioner installs this summer, as indoor air quality has become more of a concern, especially since air quality advisories have become common in the summer months.

Respirologist Dr. Brianne Philipenko says in addition to avoiding strenuous outdoor activities, people who are sensitive to smoke or those who have underlying heart or lung conditions should keep their windows closed to preserve indoor air quality.

“The big thing we talk about when we’re talking about wildfire smoke is PM (particulate matter) 2.5, which is a measurement of a particle that’s in the air,” Philipenko said. “The reason why it’s particularly harmful is because it’s so small, can settle deep in the lungs and cause inflammation and damage in the lungs because of that.”

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Shaw says more people are relying on air conditioners to keep air circulating during long stretches when windows remain closed.

But air conditioning alone won’t be enough to keep your home pollutant free.

“Along with your air conditioner, get a HEPA filter, or some type of carbon activated filter, that can eliminate the odor in your house,” Shaw said. “Lots of filters will take out particles and large particles especially, but you need the carbon filter part to actually get rid of the odor.”

HEPA, or High Efficiency Particulate Air filters are designed to be a more effective filter, with many companies advertising 99.97 per cent removal of airborne particles over 0.3 microns that go beyond what a typical furnace filter is capable of.

“It’s a whole home system that as your air conditioning is running. It’ll filter the air that comes from all the different areas of your house,” Shaw said.

Philipenko says air quality sensors are available for purchase to keep a close eye on indoor air quality. Standalone air purifiers are another option to filter air.

Shaw advises to shut down humidifiers, with the damper closed and the valve turned off in the summer months to avoid air conditioners from constantly running.

Shaw said people often forget to regularly change out their furnace filter and regularly maintain their air conditioner, which will help reduce pollutants and increase the efficiency of your furnace system.