City Of Bozeman
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Throughout the Bozeman community, we are feeling the impacts of wildfire smoke and longer stretches of hotter days in Bozeman. Being prepared ahead of time can help keep you and your family safe when wildfire smoke and hot days come through.
Stay Informed
During fire season get in the habit of checking the outdoor air-quality daily.
- Montana’s Today’s Air website for hourly PM2.5 data at permanent monitoring stations around the state.
- EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map for hourly PM2.5 data at permanent monitoring stations, temporary monitors, and Purple Air sensors across the country.
Prepare Your Living Space
Whether you are a homeowner or renter there are steps you can take to keep your living space cool and pollutants like wildfire smoke out.
You can take a whole-home approach to these solutions or focus on one space to create a clean room. A clean room is one designated room or space that is set up to keep levels of smoke and other particles as low as possible during intense wildfire events. Clean rooms should also be set up to have a cooling option or be located in a room that will stay cool.
Tighten Up
Weatherization improvements can go beyond just keeping warmth in during the winter; it can also help keep cool air in during the summer and wildfire smoke out.
Heat pumps are an all-in-one solution to heating AND cooling. If you are considering installing an air-conditioner or upgrading your heating learn more about heat pumps. Ductless mini-split units are great options for clean rooms because they do not require existing ductwork and can be easily added to spaces.
Heat pumps provide air filtration. The filters for ductless mini-split heat pumps are typically located in the indoor unit, making them easy to clean, replace, and upgrade. Heat pumps are continuously circulating air, so air is frequently moving through the filter.
However, the filtration is only as good as the filter that is being used. Upgrading your HVAC filters to ones that can filter the harmful particles in wildfire smoke is important. When selecting filters look for HEPA certified or High Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERV) rating 13 or higher.
Purchase an EnergyStar© HEPA Air Filter
Even if your HVAC system has filtration, additional purifiers can help remove harmful particulates. When you are selecting a HEPA air purifier make sure it is the appropriate size for the room you are planning to use it in. Always look for EnergyStar©.This can be a great option for renters.
Rebates, Incentives, and Financing
NorthWestern Energy has a rebate for qualifying air purifiers. If you are a renter but have the NorthWestern Energy bill in your name, you are also eligible for this rebate.
You may also be eligible for other rebates available for various weatherization and HVAC equipment.