Want to Breathe Easier in the Spring? Try These Three Easy Tips
Spring is here, bringing many positive things. However, this season also comes with the unfortunate increase of allergens in the air. While it is tempting for allergy sufferers to simply retreat into the safety of their homes with windows closed and doors shut, indoor air cannot escape the onslaught of allergy season. Indoor air can be even more polluted than outdoor air, which is why it’s so important to ensure that indoor air quality is good, and this can be achieved by focusing on a home’s HVAC system. Increasing indoor air quality will help those in the home reduce allergy symptoms and stay healthier.
Change the Air Filters
HVAC systems are designed to draw and redistribute air in the home to heat or cool it. In the process, the air passes through an air filter meant to capture any particulate matter that could pollute the air, including dirt, dust, mold spores, and other allergens.
Over time, air filters trap enough pollutants to clog up the mesh and prevent the filter from properly capturing any more particles from the air. This is why it’s so important to replace the AC and furnace filters regularly. Routine air filter replacement ensures the filter doesn’t accumulate too many particles that impede it from functioning properly.
HVAC technicians generally recommend replacing the air filter at least once every three months for optimum performance. Still, for homeowners who are particularly sensitive to allergens, replacing filters more often would be helpful, especially in the spring when allergens such as pollen are at their highest levels.
Invest in a Whole Home Air Filtration System
Aside from the air filter already part of the HVAC system, a whole home air filtration system can be added to the existing HVAC system and ductwork to add an extra layer of protection against pollutants and allergens for homeowners who need a more robust defense against allergy attacks. With an additional air filtration system, any particulate matter that escapes the air filter can be eliminated by the whole home air filtration system. This includes smaller particles that may not be within a regular air filter’s capacity to capture.
While a standalone portable air purifier can serve a single room, homeowners who want whole-home protection can invest in a whole-home filtration system, such as a whole-home UV air purifier or an air cleaner. These systems protect every room in the house, so people can move from room to room, knowing that they can breathe easily no matter where they are in the house.
Conduct Regular Maintenance
Equipping a home’s HVAC system with the right tools to help it improve indoor air quality is just one part of the equation that reduces allergies. Regular heating and air conditioning maintenance is also crucial. AC and heating maintenance ensures that the HVAC system is up to the task of not just heating and cooling but also keeping the air clean and safe for breathing.
To ensure proper maintenance, professional HVAC technicians perform a list of maintenance tasks that include checking the thermostat, inspecting refrigerant lines, cleaning the evaporator coils, changing air filters, and tightening electrical connections. Completing this checklist helps keep systems running smoothly and circulating high-quality indoor air free from pollutants and allergens.