How Your Furnace Can Trigger Your Allergies

Have you ever noticed when you start your heat for the first time in the fall, you’re sniffling more frequently? While spring allergies seem to get a harsher reputation, fall allergies are still very common and affect many. For some, fall allergies can be even worse than spring colder temps weakening our immune systems and from cranking up our furnaces. This might leave you considering, can furnaces make allergies worse in Edmonton, or even trigger them? 

While furnaces can’t create allergies, they can aggravate them. How? During the warmer months, dust, dander and other debris can collect in heating ducts. When the colder temperatures begin and we turn our furnaces on for the first time, all those allergens are now pushed out of the ventilation and move within our homes. Thankfully, there are things you can do to keep your furnace from worsening your allergies. 

How to Keep Your Furnace from Worsening Your Allergies

1. Get a New HVAC Filter. Routinely replacing your filters is one of the best tasks you can do to minimize your allergies at any time of the year. New filters are ideal for catching the allergens in your house’s air, helping to keep you breathing easy. 

2. Dust Your Air Ducts. Not only do pollutants harbor in your HVAC filters, but in your ventilation as well. An air duct cleaning could help ease allergy symptoms and help your HVAC system work more efficiently. When you schedule an air duct cleaning, our experts inspect and clean components including your supply/return ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers. 

3. Keep Your Furnace in Good Working Order. Adequate HVAC maintenance and regular checkups are another great way to both increase your home’s air quality and keep your system performing as efficiently as possible. Before flipping your furnace on for the first time, it tends to help to have an HVAC technician complete a maintenance inspection to verify your filters and air ducts are clean and everything else is in excellent shape. 

Allergies and recurring illness can be annoying, and it can be hard to discover what’s causing or aggravating them. Here are some additional FAQs, complete with answers and suggestions that could help.  

Is Forced Air Harmful for Allergies?

Allergy sufferers are often told that forced air heating can affect your allergies even more. Forced air systems can carry allergens through the air, causing you to breathe them in more frequently than if you owned a radiant heating system. While it’s true forced air systems may make your allergies worse, that is only if you don’t take suitable upkeep of your system. Other than the things we included already, you can also: 

• Dust and vacuum your home frequently. If there aren’t dust, dander or mold spore particles to clog your air ducts, your air system can’t circulate them into the air, and you can’t inhale them. Some extra cleaning tips include: 

• Confirm your vacuum has a HEPA filter. 
• Dust ahead of vacuuming. 
• Clean your curtains regularly, as they are a frequent hiding place of allergens. 

• Make sure to clean behind and under furniture. 

• Keep an Eye on your residence’s moisture levels. Higher humidity levels can also result in worsening of allergies. Humidity enables mold growth and dust mites. Getting a dehumidifier with your HVAC system keeps moisture levels balanced and your indoor air quality much healthier. 

H2: What is the Ideal Furnace Filter for Allergies? 

Typically, HEPA filters are the best if you or someone in your family deals with allergies. HEPA filters are rated to take out 99.97 to 99.99% of particles, including dust, pollen and dirt. These filters have a MERV rating of 17-21, depending on the type. This rating illustrates how successfully a filter can clean pollutants from the air. Because of their high-efficiency filtration performance, HEPA filters are deep and can limit airflow. It’s important to contact Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning to ensure your heating and cooling system can perform properly with these high efficiency filters. 

Can Clogged Filters or Air Ducts Make Me Sick? 

Clogged filters can hold on to particles and allow poor quality air to circulate. This also applies to dusty vents. If you inhale these particles it can produce sneezing, coughing or other asthma-related issues, depending on your sensitivity. 

It’s beneficial to swap out your HVAC filter around 30-60 days, but here are some signs you may need to more frequently: 

• It’s taking longer for your system to cool or heat your residence. 

• You notice more dust in your house. 
• Utility costs are going up with no obvious reason. 
• Your allergies are getting worse. 
• Signs your air ducts require cleaning include: 
• The metal is sitting in dust. 

• Filthy supply and return vents. 
• Mold in your furnace, air conditioner, heat pump or air handler. 
• Dust flowing from your vents when your HVAC system is starting. 
• Your residence is often dusty, despite continuous cleaning. 

Your health and comfort are our greatest priority at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. Whether it’s furnace repair today.