Furnace Filter Exchange program to help create better air inside a home for Utah families

SALT LAKE CITY — As we all know, the inversion can create many challenges for at risk-communities.

A new program is aimed at helping provide better air quality for Utah families inside their homes.

The Furnace Filter Exchange program was announced by state legislators Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-District 10, and Rep. Angela Romero, D, District 25. The program works by providing high-efficiency furnace filters and education to low income families in West Valley City and Salt Lake City.

It’s meant to help children who are suffering from respiratory illnesses like asthma and cystic fibrosis.

“I think a lot of times when people think about air quality they think about the air they’re breathing outside,” Romero said. “They don’t think about the air that’s actually in their homes.”

Dr. Daniel Mendoza, professor Atmospheric Science and Internal Medicine at the University of Utah, says education is just as important as changing out the filters.

“It’s not just going to be an exchange of filters but we want to provide the education,” he said. “What we’re going to do is bringing air quality monitors at the homes both inside and outside the home before and after the furnace is changed.”

Health experts say they’ll be monitoring the air quality and testing used filters for pollutant. An educational component involves helping families identify risks inside the home.

“We want to make sure that they truly understand and take something away that they can use to really help their family’s health,” said Dr. Shana Godred-Cato, division of emergency medicine at the University of Utah.

For further information or to apply for participation in the Furnace Filter Exchange Program, click here.