HVAC and Allergies: What You Should Know
Allergies got you down? Your home’s comfort system can help.
Spring has sprung, the grass has risen…but so have airborne allergens and their associated annoyances! In Utah, allergy season can begin as early as February and last until the early summer. Tree pollination starts us off, followed by grass pollination later in the spring and summer (and ragweed in the late summer and fall). A rainy spring also promotes rapid growth and can lead to an increase in mold, causing symptoms to last well into the fall.
Your home’s comfort system (also known as an HVAC system) could make matters worse…or better! Read on to learn more about common HVAC-related allergy problems and how to fix them.
Your comfort system can be hiding mildew and mold.
Mildew and mold love dark and damp places. An improperly maintained comfort system can collect condensation and humidity in hidden places. When you fire up a contaminated AC or heater, you may unknowingly introduce mildew and mold into the room.
What to do: Schedule an annual maintenance visit with us to make sure your system is working properly. In addition to preventing certain allergy issues, proper maintenance protects the investment you’ve made in your home’s comfort system by decreasing down time, maintaining efficiencies, and fixing small problems before they become big ones.
Your media filter may be making your allergies worse.
Media filters (also known as HVAC filters) are meant to capture dirt, dust, and allergens before they get in to your home’s ductwork. If you don’t clean or replace them regularly, they can become overloaded which means they are no longer filtering and allowing those contaminates to circulate throughout your home.
What to do: We recommend you replace your media filter every six months at a minimum and every three months for optimal system performance. Filters are rated and categorized by a MERV rating – Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This rating number is from ASHRAE – the American Society of Heating and Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. The MERV rating of a filter ranges from 1-16. The range gives you a measurement of the size of pollutants the filter will stop, from 10 microns to as small as 0.3 microns.
The good news is most home owners can swap their filter easily as a quick DIY project. If you need a little extra help, we are always available.
The air in your home isn’t circulating properly.
Many newer homes are so well insulated that there’s a side effect when the air inside the home isn’t circulated: pollutants and contaminants can’t escape.
What to do: Run your HVAC system regularly, even if just for 20 minutes, to circulate air. If you have a smart thermostat (or programmable thermostat), you can schedule your system to run at a time and duration of your choice.
Other types of allergens may be growing in (and around) your comfort system.
Besides mold and mildew, other allergens can thrive in the warm, damp and dark environment of your home’s comfort system. According to abatement.com, poorly constructed air filters can actually create an environment where these microbes thrive and multiply quickly.
What to do: In addition to the steps listed above, you may want to consider an extra line of defense. CTR Heating & Air Conditioning can install a whole-home air purification unit that uses active cleaning technology to directly targets pollutants. Whole-home air purification units, like the REME HALO, can reduce airborne particulates like dust, pollen, dander and microbes, kill up to 99 percent of the bacteria, viruses and microbial growth in your home, reduce “sneeze germs” by 99 percent, and help you avoid illness, breathe easier and sleep better at night.
If you’d like to learn more about the REME HALO or any of the other allergy-combating solutions above, give us a call at 801-999-4220.
