Tips for Philadelphia Homeowners for Using Your HVAC Unit to Alleviate Allergies

Does your family struggle with airborne allergens? If so, learn how you can use your HVAC as a key component in your fight against irritants to your immune system.

Get Your HVAC Ducts Checked

There’s quite a bit of ductwork connecting your HVAC unit to each room of your house. That means that there are plenty of opportunities to introduce pollen, dust, and other allergens into your home each time the HVAC cycles on.

Do your lungs and sinuses a favor by asking a certified professional to inspect each inch of your ductwork. A good cleaning can remove all sorts of potentially harmful material including mold.

In recent years, research has made everyone more aware of the danger posed by household mold. Removing it can greatly increase quality of life for you and your loved ones.

Monitor Your Home’s Humidity

High humidity inside your home can produce conditions that are perfect for the growth of mold. How do you know that the humidity in your home is abnormally high?

Humidity is easy to monitor just like it’s easy to monitor the temperature. You measure humidity with a hygrometer, which is much less intimidating than it sounds.

A hygrometer costs only a few dollars. It’s available with a digital readout or an old-fashioned analog face. You can find one at your nearest chain drugstore, hardware store, or all-inclusive department store.

If you find that you need to reduce the humidity in the home, ventilation is usually the key. Try routinely leaving open a window in the room that has the humidity problem. The window doesn’t have to be left open all day. Try opening it early in the morning and then closing it before you leave for work.

If you are sensitive to pollen or similar plant-based allergens, be sure to choose a window that’s not near the type of plants that trigger your symptoms.

Clean Your Air Register and Vents

Don’t forget to clean your air register and vents when you vacuum or mop. A good all-purpose cleaner should be able to remove the typical dirt that collects there.

While cleaning the air register and vents, you may wonder if the effort is worth it considering how little dirt you find. But don’t forget that a little dirt on each vent in your house collectively represents a huge amount of particles that could get into the air.

Keep the Area Near the Air Register Free of Debris

Once you’ve cleaned the air register, make sure that you clean the nearby area. Remove any fibrous material such as carpets and draperies from near the register. Excess fibers from such materials are easily pulled into the register.

You should also avoid allowing your pet to sleep or lounge near the air register to prevent animal hair from entering the HVAC system.

Replace Your Filters

If your family struggles with allergies, it’s important that you not try to save money by purchasing inexpensive filters. Filters capable of screening out harmful allergens tend to be somewhat costly. Naturally, however, you have to weigh the cost of a good air filter against the cost of a doctor’s visit.

Filters carry ratings according to their ability to trap specific types of airborne materials. Read the manufacturers’ product descriptions carefully to choose the filter best suited for your needs.

If you have hairy indoor pets, plan to inspect your filter more often than suggested by the manufacturer. Pet owners often have to change their filters frequently to keep their indoor air clean and safe.

Keep in mind that the more efficiently an air filter traps particles. Generally, the more difficult it is for air to move through the filter. In other words, your HVAC may have to work harder to compensate for the reduced airflow caused by a high-grade filter. But once again, you have to compare a larger utility bill against the cost of medical care.

It would be great if we didn’t have to worry about allergies. However, until there’s a cure, we can all take preventative steps to minimize our exposure to various allergens.

Would you like professional help to protect your family’s health? Contact HVAC Philly today for more information on how to use your HVAC unite to alleviate allergies.