Spring allergy season is here and in North Texas, it is a doozy. The Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex is consistently listed in the top cities nationally for pollen counts.
Our home heating and air systems work year-round. In the winter, they work to heat the house and, in the summer, to cool it off. That requires our indoor system (furnace or air handler blower) to work hard to circulate the air in the house. For some people that can come with a high price— an increase in allergy symptoms. Research shows that the number of allergens in a closed space can be double compared to outdoors.
The reason for that is in most homes, there is a restriction of airflow from outside, and the contaminants in the air are continually recirculated through the house, and many times those contain allergens. The better insulated the house, the worse the effects can be. For those who are sensitive it can cause symptoms like irritation of the eyes, swelling, rash, itching, and shortness of breath. The temperature difference between the house (warm) and your cooling system (cold air) creates the perfect environment for mold development as well that can affect allergy sufferers.
Luckily there are few measures you can take to decrease the number of allergens in the house:
Proper ventilation: Open your windows for 15-45 minutes every day to circulate the air in the house
Filtration: Do not buy cheap filters. Having an expensive filter might sound like a waste of your money, but it can be the best thing you can do for your system. There is a wide variety of filters you can select from. A good filter can stop allergens, pet dander and particles up to the sub-micron (very small particles in the air) level. A good filter will also prolong the life of your HVAC system and will prevent air restrictions. Give us a call for advice on finding the right filter for your particular system. You will want to use the strongest filter that your system can safely use – if you go too strong, it can actually harm your system.
