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.

Control Fall Allergies by Improving Your Home's Air Quality

If you suffer from allergies, seasonal changes can be a bad time. Suddenly, fall allergies you forgot you had will reappear, making you and other vulnerable family members miserable. The problem is exacerbated by the airtightness of many modern homes. They're built to intentionally keep warm air from escaping in the winter and from infiltrating inside in the summer. However, this has the unfortunate side effect of trapping dirty, allergen-filled air in the house.However, don't despair. There are effective strategies for protecting indoor air quality as well as your health. Try some of the following:

• Keep allergens outside. Close windows and doors during days when allergen levels are high in the outside air. Brush pets before they come inside, and take off your shoes and outerwear upon entering the house and leave these items by the door.

• Clean the house frequently, and make sure you wash bedding at least weekly. Store unused clothing in plastic boxes or bags. Try to limit the display of knick-knacks, trophies, picture frames, etc., since these are notorious dust collectors, and household dust is full of allergens.

• Change the air filter in your furnace or heat pump regularly to preserve indoor air quality. Inspect it once a month and change it when it looks clogged or dirty.

• Your home should have effective mechanical ventilation to ensure a regular exchange of fresh outside air with stale indoor air. Use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom, and leave them on for 10 or 15 minutes after you're finished in that room. If ventilation is pulling more allergens inside, consider a whole-house air purifying system that works in tandem with your forced-air HVAC system.

• Control moisture levels in your home, since unusual humidity levels inside, either too high or too low, can create a welcoming atmosphere for allergens. A whole-house humidifier can help counter the adverse effects of dry indoor air in the winter.

For more advice on improving indoor air quality during the fall allergy season, please contact us at Air Assurance, providing quality HVAC and air quality services in the Broken Arrow area since 1985.

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).Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Olena Zaskochenko/Shutterstock”