How Your HVAC System Can Help You Combat Spring Allergies

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This time of year can make you miserable if you have spring allergies. Tree and grass pollen can cause you to sneeze, have watery eyes, and experience other allergy symptoms. You might not be able to avoid going outside, but you can use your HVAC system to keep these allergens out of your home and boost your indoor air quality. Use the following HVAC tips to combat spring allergies.

Replace HVAC Filters

HVAC filters catch allergens and other particles to prevent them from getting into your home through your vents when you’re running your air conditioning or heating system. However, these filters get dirty or clogged and need to be replaced. When your HVAC filters are dirty, this makes it easier for allergens to blow into different parts of your home via your ducts and vents. Check and change your HVAC filters this spring and every month (or few months) after that to reduce the presence of allergens in your home and alleviate your spring allergies.

Clean the Outdoor Unit

Pollen and other debris can cover your outdoor HVAC unit and end up getting into your home. Use a garden hose to rinse off your outdoor unit to eliminate pollen and other debris. In addition to reducing the risk of allergy symptoms, doing this helps your HVAC system run more efficiently.

Schedule Duct Cleaning

Your home’s ductwork can harbor pollen and other allergens, such as dust. When these ducts haven’t been cleaned in awhile, they could be filled with these allergens. A professional duct cleaning helps remove this debris so you’re not breathing it in while running your HVAC system.

Clean Your House

Sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming, and dusting can help you reduce the amount of allergens in your home this spring. Doing these cleaning tasks on a regular basis can help you keep allergies at bay throughout the season.

If you need duct cleaning or other HVAC services to combat spring allergies, please contact Air Assurance. Our HVAC technicians provide dependable HVAC services to homeowners in Broken Arrow.

HVAC Tips to Prevent Spring Allergies

Spring allergies wreak havoc on millions of people across the country every year. The good news is that you can keep the discomfort at a minimum by following a few simple tips.

Schedule Annual System Maintenance

To keep your HVAC system running efficiently, which will help reduce allergens in your air, be sure to schedule annual maintenance with a qualified technician. By doing so every year, you'll also help prolong the operational life span of the equipment.

Check and Replace Filters

Filters quickly clog up during normal operation as they remove contaminants from your air. To enable the filter to help with spring allergies, check the filter once per month and either clean or replace it whenever it gets dirty.

Remove Dust and Debris from Ducts

Over time, a great deal of dust and debris will collect inside your home's air ducts. These irritants are then distributed into your air every time you turn on your HVAC system. The best way to keep this debris from re-entering the air is to schedule regular cleanings once or twice per year.

Don’t Leave Windows Open

Spring allergies often occur because people have a tendency to leave their windows open during the season because they want to let the fresh air inside. This may feel good, but by doing so, you're also letting more allergens into your air.

Clean Up the Outdoor Unit

Dirt and debris that has built up on your outdoor unit can quickly find their way into your home whenever your HVAC system is in operation. You can help prevent this by removing large debris from the outdoor unit and then washing off what's left with a hose.

By following these tips on improving indoor air quality, you'll be able to reduce the severity and frequency of spring allergies. If you're interested in learning more about how to reduce allergens or need to schedule any type of HVAC service, the professionals at Air Assurance are ready to assist you. With more than 30 years of servicing the needs of Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas, we've earned the trust of our community.

How to Prevent Irritants From Getting Into Your Home

Everyone wants clean, breathable air in their home, but so many homeowners seem to struggle with this. We don't want you to suffer any longer, so we've put together a quick list of ways that you can prevent irritants from entering your air.

Upgrade Your Air Filter

If you want an air filter that's even more effective in reducing the number of contaminants in your air, then you should upgrade to a HEPA-style filter with a MERV rating of 10 or better. This will help provide optimal filtration for your entire household.

Replace Your Air Filter Every One to Three Months

Your HVAC system's air filter does a great job keeping harmful pollutants from being recirculated into the air. Unfortunately, while it's doing its job, it doesn't take long before the filter gets clogged up. Checking the filter each month and replacing it every one to three months will ensure that it continues to work properly.

Use UV Lights to Kill Contaminants

Ultraviolet lights can be used to kill several different types of pollutants that can cause irritation and respiratory issues. These lights are installed within your HVAC equipment and will treat the air as it passes through on its way to get recirculated into your home.

Get Your Ducts Cleaned

Over time, your home's air ducts gather dust and other allergens as air moves through them. These allergens can be picked up at any time and delivered back into your air. Getting your ducts cleaned by a professional is a great way to keep your air clear of irritants.

Use a Humidifier or Dehumidifier

To maintain healthy air in your home — air with fewer irritants — it is recommended that the relative humidity level be around 40%. Depending on your current humidity level, this can be achieved with either a humidifier or a dehumidifier.

Once you learn how to prevent irritants from circulating in your home, the members of your household will breathe a lot easier. For more expert advice on this or any other home-comfort subject, contact the friendly professionals at Air Assurance. We've been handling the HVAC needs of Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas since 1985.

Reduce the Effects of Spring Allergies in Your Home

Reduce the Effects of Spring Allergies in Your Home

Did you know that you can fight spring allergies using your HVAC system? It’s actually the best tool you already have to minimize the effects of all that pollen that bombards you during the pollen-producing months. Gauging pollen counts using flowers is misleading because most allergies are caused by tiny flowers found on grasses, shrubs and trees and not showy or heavily perfumed flowers.

Central air conditioners move a good deal of air. As a consequence, much of the pollen and other allergens pass through the air handler and ductwork every time the system runs. Keeping these components clean and dust-free is essential for reducing the discomfort airborne allergies cause.

Spring HVAC Maintenance

An HVAC pro from Air Assurance will go through your system thoroughly, removing all the dust from the components. Besides breathing easier, you’ll also benefit from a system that runs with greater efficiency. When parts are clean and adjusted, they use less energy and aren’t as vulnerable to premature breakdowns.

Duct Inspection

When you schedule your A/C tune-up, ask about ductwork inspection to locate any leaks and to learn the overall condition of the ducts. The technician will use special equipment to measure the leakage and will look for signs of dust and debris inside the ducts. Leaks can happen any time and even ducts in newer homes can be debris-filled.

Ductwork leaks can worsen spring allergies because they pick up dust and pollen from the area where there is leakage. Sometimes ducts are places where insects and rodents live. They can either enter through the register covers or through tiny cracks in the ductwork. Their waste products can trigger allergic responses and the insects and animals themselves can spread diseases.

Air Filters

The filter is essential to air conditioners and keeping it clean goes a long way toward lowering the pollen indoors. Use the highest-rated filter recommended for your system and change it when it’s covered with dust.

Tending to your HVAC system will reduce the discomfort of spring allergies. To learn more, 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.

Improving Indoor Air Quality Can Combat Spring Allergies

Indoor air quality in Oklahoma residences is on average, 10 times worse than outdoor air, reflecting a national trend. Your home may be sealed up to make the most of energy savings, but this compounds poor air quality, especially in the spring, when allergy season starts up. Allergens can get into your home, but have a hard time getting back out again. One of the most important steps to take in combating spring allergies and improving health year-round, is raising your indoor air quality.Allergens are found on many household surfaces, but the kinds that cause severe reactions are typically airborne particles. Some of the most common symptoms experienced in Oklahoma are hay fever, asthma and respiratory problems caused by grass, tree pollen, mold spores and flowers. Other common irritants that reduce indoor air quality include:

• Dust (Dust is the No. 1 way germs and microorganisms enter your body, and for every 1,500 square feet of space the average home has 40 lbs of dust!)

• Pet dander

• Off-gassing from building materials and carpets

• Fumes from cleaners and air fresheners

• Radon (the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US after cigarettes)

It’s important to keep air circulating in your home, as well as keeping it filtered. During the spring, an open window will only compound your allergy troubles! Devices such as energy recovery ventilators keep fresh air coming and in push stale air out and can filter the air as they do so. There are also high efficiency filters, such as HEPA filters, that can dramatically improve indoor air quality by removing up to 99.9 percent of airborne particles, including many allergens. Keeping humidity levels balanced by adding or removing moisture from the air can also improve your air. Particles remain airborne longer in dry air and humid environments foster mold.If you would like more information on how to improve your indoor air quality, reducing the effects of spring allergies and improving overall health year round, call Air Assurance. We'll be happy to discuss your options and find a solution that's right for your home and health!Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.