Your Furnace Might Be Making Your Allergies Worse

Have you ever felt when you turn on your heating for the first time in the fall, you’re wheezing more frequently? While spring allergies seem to get a harsher reputation, fall allergies are still very common and many people are affected by them. For some, fall allergies can be even worse than spring because of cooler temperatures affecting our immune systems and from cranking up our furnaces. This could leave you considering, can furnaces make allergies worse in Girard, or even trigger them?

While furnaces can’t lead to allergies, they can aggravate them. How? During the hotter months, dust, dander and other pollutants can build up in heating ducts. When the cooler conditions hit and we switch our heat on for the first time, all those allergens are now distributed through the ductwork and circulate through our houses. Fortunately, there are things you can do to stop your furnace from irritating your allergies.

How to Keep Your Furnace from Worsening Your Allergies

1. Change Your HVAC Filter. Routinely replacing your filters is one of the best things you can perform to help your allergies at any time of the year. New filters are better at snagging the allergens in your house’s air, helping to keep you breathing easy.
2. Freshen Up Your Air Ducts. Not only do pollutants harbor in your HVAC filters, but in your ventilation as well. An air duct cleaning might help ease allergy symptoms and help your HVAC system perform more efficiently. When you call for an air duct cleaning, technicians check and clean components including your supply/return ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers.
3. Keep Your Furnace in Good Working Condition. Quality HVAC maintenance and periodic tune-ups are another excellent way to both strengthen your house’s air quality and keep your heating running as effectively as possible. Prior to turning your furnace on for the first time, it can help to have an HVAC tech complete a maintenance inspection to ensure your filters and air ducts are clean and everything else is in excellent working order.

Allergies and continuous illness can be annoying, and it can be tough to learn what’s creating or triggering them. Here are some common FAQs, complete with answers and ideas that could help.

Is Forced Air Harmful for Allergies?

Allergy sufferers are frequently told that forced air heating can aggravate your allergies even more. Forced air systems can carry allergens through the air, resulting in you breathing them in more frequently than if you owned a radiant heating system. While it’s correct forced air systems might make your allergies more severe, that is only if you avoid proper upkeep of your system. Other than the practices we included above, you can also:

• Dust and vacuum your residence frequently. If there aren’t dust, dander or mold spore particles to accumulate in your air ducts, your air system can’t carry them into the air, and you can’t inhale them. Some added cleaning tips are:
  • Confirm your vacuum has a HEPA filter.
  • Dust in advance of vacuuming.
  • Clean your curtains regularly, as they are a frequent collector of allergens.
  • Make sure to clean behind and under furniture.
• Check your home’s moisture levels. Higher humidity levels can also result in more severe allergies. Humidity supports mold growth and dust mites. Getting a dehumidifier with your HVAC system keeps moisture levels under control and your indoor air quality much better.

What is the Best Furnace Filter for Allergies?

Usually, HEPA filters are the best if you or someone in your home struggles with allergies. HEPA filters are rated to take out 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 take pollutants from the air. Due to their high-efficiency filtration performance, HEPA filters are deep and can restrict airflow. It’s beneficial to touch base with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning to ensure your heating and cooling system can perform properly with these high efficiency filters.

Can Dusty Filters or Air Ducts Make Me Sick?

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

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

• It’s taking longer for your system to cool or heat your home.
• You notice more dust in your home.
• Heating and cooling bills are increasing with no clear reason.
• Your allergies are acting up.

Symptoms your air ducts need cleaning include:

• The metal is covered in dust.
• Dusty supply and return vents.
• Mold in your furnace, air conditioner, heat pump or air handler.
• Dust coming from your vents when your HVAC system is working.
• Your residence is always dusty, despite continuous cleaning.

Your health and comfort are our first priority at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. Whether it’s furnace repair now.