How To Alleviate Fall Allergies Using Your HVAC System

Here in the Philadelphia region, the cooler weather can really aggravate some allergies. As the heat kicks on for the first time in months, the air gets drier and your sinuses get more reactive to pollen, dust, mold, mildew, pet dander and more. While we’re all looking forward to apple picking, leaves changing color, and apple cider donuts, the hay bales used for decoration seemingly everywhere just make me sneeze and my eyes itch and water, and I pray I brought a Zyrtec with me!

Fighting Fall Allergies at Home

You can alleviate some of the issues with Fall Allergies by improving your indoor air quality with a couple of easy steps with your HVAC System!

1. Change and Upgrade your Air Filters:

   HEPA (High efficiency Particulate Air) filters for your HVAC system can help eliminate more particles from your indoor air, including pollen, dust mites, and pet dander.  Especially as the heat starts to turn on, dust that has been sitting in your vents all summer can get stirred up and really aggravate things, so changing your filter to a HEPA grade could be a big help. Your air filters are measured by a MERV rating. The higher the rating, the smaller the particles your filter will be able to catch!

2. Clean Your Air Ducts:

   If it’s been a while, and especially if you’ve had any work done on your home, like tile or drywall, you should really consider getting a duct cleaning.  The amount of stuff that sits in your ductwork is pretty gross, and getting an occasional duct cleaning can reduce the particulates in the air significantly.  Especially when you consider that you will be spending more and more time indoors with the windows shit all Winter, doesn’t a good duct cleaning make sense?

3. Check Your Humidity Levels And Consider An Air Purifier:

   Keep the air in your home between 30% and 50% humidity.  This may mean using a dehumidifier in some parts of the house, like a basement, where damp can accumulate, and adding humidity to the air, especially once you turn on the heat, in the main part of the home.  At John Cipollone, we often recommend air purifier systems like AprilAire that can help control humidity for your HVAC system and can add additional filtration and purification of your indoor air. Some systems even use UV C light to help remove viruses and pathogens from the air, helping your whole family stay healthier!
4. Don’t Forget Ventilation: When the weather’s mild, don’t forget to open up some windows and get more fresh air into the house.  Check the pollen count first, to make sure you won’t be gathering more stuff than just fresh air into your home!
5. Schedule A Fall HVAC Tune-up: At John Cipollone, we recommend you get your HVAC system checked at least once a year. We can make sure your system is working well and perform any preventative maintenance to make sure once you turn on the heat this Winter, your system will be running well from the start!

Need Some Help With Your HVAC System? Give Us A Call!

If your family struggles with allergies, or you want to make sure your system is ready for the weather ahead, give us a call here at John Cipollone. Our experts are happy to schedule a Fall maintenance visit to your home, and talk about how we can help you have better indoor air quality and keep your family healthier all winter long.