How Your Furnace Can Worsen Your Allergies

Have you ever聽caught聽when you聽turn on聽your聽furnace聽for the first time in the fall, you’re聽wheezing聽more聽often? While spring allergies聽seem to聽get a聽harsher聽reputation, fall allergies are still very聽typical聽and聽many people struggle with them. For some, fall allergies can be even worse than spring 8. Brisk temperatures聽weaken聽our immune systems and from聽starting聽up our聽heating. This聽might聽leave you聽considering, can furnaces make allergies worse in聽the U.S., or even聽trigger聽them?

奥丑颈濒别听furnaces聽can’t聽lead to聽allergies, they聽sometimes聽make them worse. How? During the聽warmer聽months, dust, dander and other聽allergens聽can聽collect聽in heating ducts. When the聽winter聽temperatures聽begin聽and we聽turn聽our聽heat聽on for the first time, all those allergens are now聽distributed through聽the聽ventilation聽and聽travel聽through聽our聽houses.聽Fortunately, there are things you can do to聽stop聽your furnace from聽worsening聽your allergies.

How to Keep Your Furnace from聽Triggering聽Your Allergies

Replace Your聽HVAC Filter.聽Frequently聽replacing your filters is one of the best聽tasks聽you can聽perform聽to聽minimize聽your allergies at any time of the year.聽New聽filters are聽better at聽snagging聽the allergens in your聽house's聽air, helping to keep you聽in better health.
Freshen Up聽Your Air Ducts.聽Not only do聽pollutants聽harbor聽in your HVAC filters, but in your聽ventilation聽as well. An air duct cleaning聽may聽help聽reduce聽allergy symptoms and help your HVAC system聽run聽more efficiently. When you聽schedule聽an air duct cleaning,聽our experts聽review聽and clean components聽including聽your supply/return ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers.
Keep Your Furnace聽in Good Working Condition.聽Proper聽HVAC maintenance and聽scheduled聽tune-ups聽are another聽good聽way to both聽boost聽your聽house's聽air quality聽and keep your聽system聽working聽as聽efficiently聽as possible.聽In advance of聽flipping聽your聽heating聽on for the first time, it聽can聽help to have an HVAC聽tech聽run through聽a maintenance聽examination聽to聽ensure聽your filters and air ducts are clean and everything else is in聽good聽condition.

Allergies and聽continuous聽illness can be聽frustrating, and it can be聽tough聽to聽learn聽what’s聽creating聽or聽aggravating聽them. Here are some聽extra聽FAQs,聽along with聽answers and聽suggestions聽that聽could聽help.

Is Forced Air聽Bad聽for Allergies?

Allergy sufferers are聽often聽told that forced air heating聽could聽irritate聽your allergies even more. Forced air systems can聽push聽allergens through the air,聽leading you to breathing聽them in more聽regularly聽than if you聽had聽a radiant heating system. While it’s聽true聽forced air systems聽may聽make your allergies聽not so good, that is only if you聽ignore聽care聽of your聽heating equipment. Other than the聽tasks聽we聽listed聽previously, you can also:

Dust and vacuum your聽home聽often. If there aren’t dust, dander or mold spore particles to聽clog聽your air ducts, your air system can’t聽circulate聽them into the air, and you can’t inhale them. Some聽added聽cleaning聽tips聽are:
Check聽your vacuum has a HEPA filter.
Dust聽ahead of聽vacuuming.
Clean your curtains聽routinely, as they are a聽typical聽hiding place聽of allergens.
Remember聽to clean behind and under furniture.
Keep an Eye on聽your聽house's聽moisture levels.聽Higher聽humidity levels can also聽contribute to the worsening of聽allergies. Humidity聽enables聽mold growth and dust mites.聽Adding a dehumidifier to聽your HVAC system keeps moisture levels聽balanced聽and your indoor air quality much聽healthier.

What is the聽Top聽Furnace Filter for Allergies?

Usually, HEPA filters are聽the best聽if you or someone in your聽household聽struggles with聽allergies. HEPA filters are rated to聽take out聽99.97 to 99.99% of particles,聽like聽dust, pollen and dirt. These filters have a聽MERV rating聽of 17-21, depending on the聽kind. This rating聽reveals聽how聽successfully聽a filter can聽take聽pollutants from the air.聽Because of聽their high-efficiency filtration聽construction, HEPA filters are聽thick聽and can聽limit聽airflow. It’s聽helpful聽to聽contact聽天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to聽make sure聽your heating and cooling system can聽work聽correctly聽with these high-efficiency filters.

Can聽Dirty聽Filters or Air Ducts Make Me Sick?

Dirty聽filters can聽harbor聽particles and allow poor-quality air to聽circulate.聽This is also applicable for聽dusty聽ductwork. If you inhale these particles it can聽trigger聽sneezing, coughing or other asthma-related聽problems, depending on your sensitivity.

It’s聽smart聽to聽swap out聽your HVAC filter聽after聽30-60 days, but here are some聽signs聽you聽could聽need to聽sooner:

It’s taking聽more time聽for your system to cool or heat your聽home.
You聽find聽more dust in your聽home.
Energy聽costs聽are聽going up聽with no聽obvious聽reason.
Your allergies are聽acting up.
Signs聽your air ducts聽require聽cleaning include:
The metal is聽sitting聽in dust.
Filthy聽supply and return vents.
Mold in your furnace, air conditioner, heat pump or air handler.
Dust聽coming聽from your vents when your HVAC system is聽starting.
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Your health and comfort are our聽greatest聽priority at 天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Whether it’s聽furnace repair听迟辞诲补测.