How to Prepare for Fall Allergens

Have you started to experience the annoyance and discomfort associated with fall allergies yet? Areas in northeastern and eastern Oklahoma rank among the top 15 areas in the U.S. where people suffer the most from allergies. Local culprits in the fall include ragweed pollen, the inevitable mold spores, and dust mites.Allergy season in this part of Oklahoma is long lasting, according to the Weather Channel who estimate it lasts from April through November. With such a long season, it’s worth considering what you can do to alleviate them using your HVAC system.Your heating and cooling system handles much of the air in your home and it’s the perfect place to start reducing the impact of fall allergies caused by airborne particulates by:

Upgrading the air filter.

A denser, higher quality air filter will trap more particles that will reduce your allergy symptoms. Look for one whose MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating is 8 or higher. You can also go by the manufacturer’s quality descriptions, which normally range from good to best.Upgrade the filter as long as your HVAC system can handle one with a MERV rating between 8 and 12 or qualified as “best.” It’s important to verify the maximum density you can use because installing too thick a filter will slow the air flowing through the air handler, which harms your equipment.

Maintaining the HVAC system.

Ask your HVAC contractor to service your system, which reduces the amount of dust and pollen inside it. They're able to access every part of the system for cleaning and adjusting,

Ductwork inspection.

Have your HVAC pro check the ducts for dust. You may need to have the ducts professionally cleaned to clear accumulations of dust and debris. If you or a previous owner have run the system with dirty air filters, allergens can easily collect inside the ducts. Besides clearing the air, clean ducts deliver air more efficiently and quietly.

For more information about managing fall allergies with your HVAC system, contact Air Assurance, providing HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Ductwork Showing Its Age? Here's How to Tell It's Time for a Change

A very important component of your home’s forced-air heating and cooling system contains no moving mechanical parts, doesn’t require expensive energy to operate and may even elude diagnosis when there are clear signs of trouble in the form of home discomforts and high energy bills. If the temperature in your home varies significantly from one room to the next, and energy bills are suspiciously high, it may be that your home’s ductwork system is finally showing its age.

Signs of Aging Ductwork

The typical duct system is manufactured of thin metal and fabricated into square segments, fastened together with, unfortunately, duct tape. If your comfort and pocketbook are suffering, look for these signs of aging ducts:

• Airflow – Unbalanced airflow at the registers from room to room indicates a leak, disconnection or damage, such as crushed ducts.

• Temperature – Duct's thin walls easily transfer heat energy between the heated or cooled air inside the ducts and the spaces the ducts traverse (often unconditioned attics, basements and crawl spaces), and valuable heat energy is lost or gained.

• Noise – Rattling and clamoring noises from the outlets, grills, ceiling, walls and floor (wherever ducts are located) are clear signs of aging duct seams that have become loosened or disconnected.

Inspecting Ductwork

A visual inspection of air ducts can often pinpoint issues. Look for these signs:

• Leaks – Air leaks often causes dust to radiate at seams. If your ducts are insulated, look for dirty streaks of dust.

• Disconnections – Ducts endure significant static pressure over the years, and when sealing fails, ducts loosen, disconnect and fall away.

• Damage – Portions of duct runs may become damaged, crushed or tangled (particularly in the case of flex ducts).

Seal and Insulate

Duct leaks and loose seams should be sealed with a thick substance called mastic, and followed by wrapping seams with metal tape. All duct runs in unconditioned spaces should be insulated with fiberglass rolls or rigid board to hinder heat energy losses through duct walls. These tasks require extreme caution, as ducts are typically located in hard-to-reach locations.

For more details or assistance with your home's aging ductwork, contact Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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