Your Furnace Could Be Making Your Allergies More Awful

Have you ever caught when you turn on your heating for the first time in the fall, you’re sneezing more often? While spring allergies usually get a more severe reputation, fall allergies are still very typical and many people are affected by them. For some, fall allergies can be even worse than spring thanks to brisk temperatures affecting our immune systems and from winding up our equipment. This might leave you wondering, can furnaces make allergies worse in East Syracuse, or even cause them?

While furnaces can’t cause allergies, they can aggravate them. How? During the summer months, dust, dander and other pollutants can collect in heating ducts. When the colder temps start and we turn our furnaces on for the first time, all those allergens are now circulated through the ductwork and circulate through our houses. Thankfully, there are things you can do to stop your furnace from aggravating your allergies.

How to Keep Your Furnace from Triggering Your Allergies

1. Get a New HVAC Filter. Routinely replacing your filters is one of the best things you can do to help your allergies at any time of the year. Clean filters are better at trapping the allergens in your home’s air, helping to keep you in better health.
2. Clean Your Air Ducts. Not only do particulates harbor in your HVAC filters, but in your air ducts as well. An air duct cleaning may help reduce allergy symptoms and help your HVAC system work more efficiently. When you call for an air duct cleaning, our experts review and clean components like your supply/return ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers.
3. Keep Your Furnace in Good Working Condition. Proper HVAC maintenance and routine tune-ups are another great way to both boost your house’s air quality and keep your system running as effectively as possible. In advance of flipping your heat on for the first time, it tends to help to have an HVAC mechanic perform a maintenance examination to verify your filters and air ducts are clean and everything else is in excellent shape.

Allergies and continuous illness can be irritating, and it can be difficult to pinpoint what’s causing or triggering them. Here are some extra FAQs, complete with answers and ideas that can help.

Is Forced Air Harmful for Allergies?

Allergy sufferers are usually told that forced air heating could aggravate your allergies even more. Forced air systems can circulate allergens through the air, causing you to breathe them in more often than if you used a radiant heating system. While it’s accurate forced air systems can make your allergies worse, that is only if you don’t take proper care of your system. Other than the practices we listed previously, you can also:

• Dust and vacuum your home frequently. If there aren’t dust, dander or mold spore particles to accumulate in your air ducts, your air system can’t transport them into the air, and you can’t inhale them. Some added cleaning tips involve:
  • Make sure your vacuum has a HEPA filter.
  • Dust before vacuuming.
  • Clean your curtains regularly, as they are a typical harbor of allergens.
  • Make sure to clean behind and under furniture.
• Keep an Eye on your house’s moisture levels. High humidity levels can also result in worsening of allergies. Humidity supports mold growth and dust mites. Adding a dehumidifier to your HVAC system keeps moisture levels under control and your indoor air quality much healthier.

What is the Ideal Furnace Filter for Allergies?

Most often, HEPA filters are ideal if you or someone in your home suffers from allergies. HEPA filters are rated to filter 99.97 to 99.99% of particles, like dust, pollen and dirt. These filters have a MERV rating of 17-21, depending on the kind. This rating demonstrates how successfully a filter can take pollutants from the air. Due to their high-efficiency filtration performance, HEPA filters are thick and can limit airflow. It’s beneficial to touch base with Falso Service Experts to make sure your heating and cooling system can run 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 recirculate. The same goes for dusty vents. If you inhale these particles it can cause sneezing, coughing or other asthma-related problems, depending on your sensitivity.

It’s smart to swap out your HVAC filter around 30-60 days, but here are some indications you may need to more frequently:

• It’s taking more time for your system to cool or heat your residence.
• You come across more dust in your residence.
• Heating and cooling costs are rising with no clear reason.
• Your allergies are getting worse.

Signs your air ducts could use cleaning include:

• The metal is covered in dust.
• Filthy 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 starting.
• Your house is often dusty, regardless of frequent cleaning.

Your health and comfort are our greatest priority at Falso Service Experts. Whether it’s furnace repair today.