How Your Furnace Can Spark Your Allergies

Have you ever caught when you start your heat for the first time in the fall, you’re sniffling more often? While spring allergies seem to get a more severe reputation, fall allergies are still very prominent and affect many. For some, fall allergies can be even worse than spring because of]8] cooler temperatures affecting our immune systems and from starting up our equipment. This may leave you considering, can furnaces make allergies worse in the U.S., or even trigger them?

While furnaces can’t create allergies, they can intensify them. How? During the warmer months, dust, dander and other allergens can collect in heating ducts. When the colder temperatures arrive and we turn our furnaces on for the first time, all those allergens are now pushed out of the ventilation and circulate within our homes. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep your furnace from worsening your allergies.

How to Keep Your Furnace from Triggering Your Allergies

1. 1. Change Your HVAC Filter. Regularly replacing your filters is one of the best things you can do to minimize your allergies at any time of the year. Clean filters are superior when trapping the allergens in your home’s air, helping to keep you breathing easy.

2. 2. Clean Your Air Ducts. Not only do particulates gather in your HVAC filters, but in your air ducts as well. An air duct cleaning might help reduce allergy symptoms and help your HVAC system run more efficiently. When you call for an air duct cleaning, technicians inspect and clean components like your supply/return ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers.

3. 3. Keep Your Furnace in Good Working Order. Quality HVAC maintenance and regular tune-ups are another excellent way to both strengthen your house’s air quality and keep your system working as effectively as possible. Prior to flipping your furnace on for the first time, it could help to have an HVAC mechanic perform a maintenance inspection to verify your filters and air ducts are clean and everything else is in working shape.

Allergies and continuous illness can be annoying, and it can be difficult to figure out what’s leading to or worsening them. Here are some additional FAQs, including answers and suggestions that might help.

Is Forced Air Bad for Allergies?

Allergy sufferers are usually told that forced air heating could affect your allergies even more. Forced air systems can circulate allergens through the air, resulting in you breathing them in more frequently than if you used a radiant heating system. While it’s correct forced air systems might make your allergies not so good, that is only if you put off suitable care of your heating equipment. Other than the things we mentioned above, you can also:

• • Dust and vacuum your house often. If there aren’t dust, dander or mold spore particles to clog your air ducts, your air system can’t transport them into the air, and you can’t inhale them. Some extra cleaning ideas include:

• • Make sure your vacuum has a HEPA filter.

• • Dust prior to vacuuming.

• • Clean your curtains routinely, as they are a common hiding place of allergens.

• • Don’t forget to clean behind and under furniture.

• • Check your home’s moisture levels. Increased humidity levels can also lead to aggravating your allergies. Humidity causes mold growth and dust mites. Adding a dehumidifier to your HVAC system keeps moisture levels balanced and your indoor air quality much better.

H2: What is the Ideal Furnace Filter for Allergies?

Typically, HEPA filters are ideal if you or someone in your home struggles with allergies. HEPA filters are rated to filter 99.97 to 99.99% of particles, such as dust, pollen and dirt. These filters have a MERV rating of 17-21, depending on the brand or filter material. This rating demonstrates how thoroughly a filter can remove pollutants from the air. Because of their high-efficiency filtration performance, HEPA filters are dense and can limit airflow. It’s important to contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to ensure your heating and cooling system can run correctly with these high efficiency filters.

Can Clogged Filters or Air Ducts Make Me Sick?

Worn filters can hold on to particles and allow poor quality air to circulate. This also applies to filthy vents. If you inhale these particles it can produce sneezing, coughing or other asthma-related symptoms, depending on your sensitivity.

It’s smart to switch out your HVAC filter every 30-60 days, but here are some signals you may need to more frequently:

• • It’s taking more time for your system to cool or heat your house.

• • You find more dust in your residence.

• • Energy costs are increasing with no apparent reason.

• • Your allergies are getting worse.

• • Symptoms your air ducts need cleaning include:

• • The metal is sitting in dust.

• • Dirty supply and return vents.

• • Mold in your furnace, air conditioner, heat pump or air handler.

• • Dust emitting from your vents when your HVAC system is running.

• • Your home is frequently dusty, regardless of continuous cleaning.

Your health and comfort are our top priority at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Whether it’s furnace repair today.