Seasonal allergies are awful, right? But what if it wasn’t the pollen outside causing your itchy eyes and congested nose- what if it was coming from inside of your home?
With seasonal allergies coming right around the corner again, it isn’t always possible to open up your windows to get some fresh air to try and improve your house’s indoor air quality.
The good news is that even with pollen outside, you can still improve the air quality within your home. The even better news is that you may already have the tools you need to do this!
There are many different ways that you can use your HVAC system to improve your home’s indoor air quality. Some ways you can improve your home’s indoor air quality with your HVAC system is by increasing air circulation, checking your HVAC filters, scheduling regular maintenance for your HVAC system, and investing in HVAC indoor air quality products.
Increasing Air Circulation
Does your home suffer from dusty, stuffy, humid air? Do you deal with polluted air and uneven temperatures? You can use your HVAC system to address these problems by increasing air circulation. Most modern thermostats have either an “auto” and “on” switch or a button featuring a fan icon that lets you toggle between the different settings. This switch is responsible for regulating your blower motor and fan.
Your blower motor is in charge of circulating conditioned air throughout your home all year. When your fan is set to “auto,” it can only circulate air when your air conditioner, heat pump, furnace, or air handler is turned on. If you set your fan to “on,” your blower will continue to run even if your HVAC system isn’t actively heating or cooling your home. This means your home’s air can circulate more regularly. This might help to maintain consistent temperatures throughout your home (even in muggy upstairs rooms).
Increased air circulation also means that your HVAC filtration system filters the air in your home more regularly, which can be beneficial for allergy and asthma sufferers. While it’s usually recommended to run your blower constantly, this may not always be comfortable. Your blower can only circulate room temperature air while your system is turned off. When it seeps out of your vents, it can make you feel a little chilly. However, if regular air circulation isn’t pleasant for you, it’s recommended to run your blower as often as possible in order to alleviate some of these concerns.
Check Your HVAC Filters
The filter of your HVAC system’s filter can negatively impact your home’s indoor air quality in two main ways if not dealt with properly- by reducing airflow and by neglecting to catch harmful particles.
The goal of your HVAC filter is to remove dust, dirt, and allergies from the air that circulates around your home. It is typical for your filter to become dirty as it accumulates pollutants. This is why it’s critical to change your filter on a regular basis. Depending on the type of filter used by your system, you may need to replace it every month or simply once a month. The package of your filter might most likely provide information. However, you may need to change your filter more frequently than the label suggests at times. It’s critical to remember that these suggestions are based on lab results. The conditions within your home are likely to change. If you observe limited airflow from your vents, it’s time to replace your filter.
It is critical to pay attention to your HVAC system. The longer a filter is in your system, the dirtier it gets. If you wait too long between filter changes, your filter may become clogged. In addition, blocked filters might adversely harm your system. Changing your filters can also help to increase air circulation in your home.
However, higher air circulation might be detrimental if your filter is incapable of removing dangerous particulates from the air. While almost all filters can remove bigger particles from the air, some are incapable of capturing tiny particles such as pet dander and pollen. This might be especially problematic for allergy sufferers. But you don’t have to accept this; there are a variety of different sorts of filters available nowadays. Some particles that filters can catch include bacteria, pet dander, pollen, mold spores, and soot. If your family suffers from allergies or asthma, switching to a different type of filter may be beneficial. If you experience residual pet or culinary odors, switching to a new filter may help.
Schedule Regular Maintenance for Your HVAC System
Although maintenance is primarily concerned with ensuring the safety of your system, scheduling regular maintenance for your HVAC system can also aid enhance indoor air quality. When an HVAC expert services your system, they do more than just look for problems. Cleaning is included in every HVAC maintenance visit, whether it’s for your furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, or air handler. An expert that provides residential HVAC services should clear dust or debris from your furnace cabinet during a furnace tune-up. Your blower fan should also be inspected by the professional.
While many new furnaces do not require extensive cleaning, this can vary based on your home’s circumstances. Debris from your system, like as pet hair and lint, can accumulate on your blower fan. Because the blower fan controls air circulation all year, it can have an impact on the effectiveness of your heating and cooling systems. An HVAC expert should inspect the condition of your condenser, compressor, and evaporator coil during an air conditioner or heat pump tune-up.
Air conditioners and heat pumps remove moisture from the air within your home as they cool it. While both systems include condensate drains, it’s critical to keep an eye on mold and bacteria accumulation in air conditioners and heat pumps. If you notice unusual odors when your system is running, it is possible that your system is circulating air contaminants like as mold spores and bacteria. If this is the case, contact your HVAC partner right once to schedule a cleaning.
Invest in HVAC Indoor Air Quality Products
When it comes to indoor air quality, your current HVAC system may require some additional assistance. If your health and comfort are jeopardized, your HVAC partner can integrate IAQ components into your current system. HVAC indoor air quality products include humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers.
Humidifiers are pretty much an essential part of living in areas with cold climates, as cold winters bring dry air. Dry air can cause many issues for both you and your home, including dry and itchy skin, bloody noses, static electricity, gapped or cracked hardwood floors, and damaged woodwork, furniture and/or wooden musical instruments. Dry air can also cause your furnace or heat pump to work harder to heat your home.
Since humidifiers add water vapor to the air inside your home, they can help to prevent the negative effects of dry air. Humidifiers also allow your furnace to rest. Because water vapor helps air hold heat better, your furnace will not need to run as frequently to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. To figure out whether or not a humidifier would be a good addition to your home, you should consult with a professional indoor air quality inspector.
On the flip side, too much humidity can also affect the comfort levels of your home. You can reduce the impact by using a dehumidifier to remove humidity from the air. In areas with hotter climates, dehumidifiers are an essential tool to not only keep your home cool, but also protect it and your possessions. Regardless of the area you live in, a dehumidifier can help your home if you deal with warped wood floors or woodwork, damaged furniture or wooden musical instruments, insects (like spiders and silverfish), dust mites, muggy upper floors, and damp basements.
Although your air conditioner or heat pump dehumidifies your home, a dehumidifier can help. Because the sole purpose of a dehumidifier is to remove humidity from the air, your air conditioner or heat pump can concentrate on cooling your home. Removing humidity from the air might also make you feel more comfortable. The air will be less able to hold heat if there is less water vapor. Because warm air and humidity tend to rise, a dehumidifier might assist you in reclaiming upstairs rooms that are usually excessively sticky and hot. Dehumidifiers can also assist in driving creepy crawlies away from your home. Spiders, centipedes, and silverfish flourish in environments with more than 70% humidity. Reduce the humidity in your home to 30% – 60% to avoid insects, mold, and germs from settling in.
The last HVAC equipment you may want to look into having for your home is an air purifier. Viruses and bacteria can be killed by air filters before they spread. If you or a member of your family is immunocompromised, an air purifier can be a great purchase because of its capacity to destroy germs before they can spread.
