How Your Furnace Can Spark Your Allergies

Have you ever felt when you turn on your furnace for the first time in the fall, you’re sniffling more frequently? While spring allergies usually get a worse reputation, fall allergies are still very prominent and affect many. For some, fall allergies can be even worse than spring thanks to temperatures affecting our immune systems and from starting up our heating. This can leave you thinking, can furnaces make allergies worse in Fort Lauderdale, or even lead to them? 

While furnaces can’t cause allergies, they sometimes intensify them. How? During the summer months, dust, dander and other debris can accumulate in heating ducts. When the colder temperatures hit and we flip our heat on for the first time, all those allergens are now circulated through the vents and travel throughout our homes. Luckily, there are things you can do to prevent your furnace from irritating your allergies. 

How to Keep Your Furnace from Triggering Your Allergies

1. Change Your HVAC Filter. Regularly replacing your filters is one of the best tasks you can complete to minimize your allergies at any time of the year. New filters are ideal for snagging the allergens in your house’s air, helping to keep you in better health. 

2. Clean Your Air Ducts. Not only do small particles harbor in your HVAC filters, but in your air ducts as well. An air duct cleaning can help minimize allergy symptoms and help your HVAC system perform more efficiently. When you schedule an air duct cleaning, our experts survey and clean components including your supply/return ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers. 

3. Keep Your Furnace in Good Working Order. Quality HVAC maintenance and periodic tune-ups are another good way to both improve your house’s air quality and keep your furnace working as smoothly as possible. Before flipping your heat on for the first time, it can help to have an HVAC technician run through a maintenance examination to ensure your filters and air ducts are clean and everything else is in great shape. 

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

Is Forced Air Bad for Allergies?

Allergy sufferers are usually told that forced air heating could irritate your allergies even more. Forced air systems can circulate allergens through the air, leading you to breathing them in more often than if you used a radiant heating system. While it’s accurate forced air systems can make your allergies not so good, that is only if you put off suitable upkeep of your heating equipment. Other than the things we mentioned previously, you can also: 

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

• Confirm your vacuum has a HEPA filter. 
• Dust prior to vacuuming. 
• Clean your curtains regularly, as they are a frequent collecto of allergens. 

• Make sure to clean behind and under furniture. 

• Keep an Eye on your residence’s moisture levels. Increased humidity levels can also lead to more severe allergies. Humidity enables mold growth and dust mites. Adding a dehumidifier to your HVAC system keeps moisture levels under control and your indoor air quality much healthier. 

What is the Ideal Furnace Filter for Allergies? 

Most often, 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, like dust, pollen and dirt. These filters have a MERV rating of 17-21, depending on the brand or filter material. This rating reveals how well a filter can remove pollutants from the air. Because of their high-efficiency filtration performance, HEPA filters are deep and can limit airflow. It’s smart to contact Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning to ensure your heating and cooling system can operate properly with these high efficiency filters. 

Can Dirty Filters or Air Ducts Make Me Sick? 

Worn filters can harbor particles and allow poor quality air to move throughout your home. The same goes for filthy air ducts. If you inhale these particles it can cause sneezing, coughing or other asthma-related issues, depending on your sensitivity. 

It’s recommended to switch out your HVAC filter after 30-60 days, but here are some signs you could need to more frequently: 

• It’s taking a longer amount of time for your system to cool or heat your residence. 

• You come across more dust in your home. 
• Heating and cooling expenses are going up with no clear reason. 
• Your allergies are popping up more often. 
• Signs your air ducts need 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 running. 
• Your house is always dusty, regardless of frequent cleaning. 

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