How Your Furnace Can Trigger Your Allergies

Have you ever caught when you start your heat for the first time in the fall, you’re sneezing more than usual? While spring allergies often get a more severe reputation, fall allergies are still very common and many people struggle with them. For some, fall allergies can be even worse than spring thanks to temps impairing our immune systems and from winding up our equipment. This may leave you thinking, can furnaces make allergies worse in Calgary, or even lead to them? 

While furnaces can’t lead to allergies, they can intensify them. How? During the hotter months, dust, dander and other debris can accumulate in heating ducts. When the cold temperatures begin and we turn our furnaces on for the first time, all those allergens are now pushed out of the vents and move throughout our homes. Thankfully, there are things you can do to stop your furnace from irritating your allergies. 

How to Keep Your Furnace from Affecting Your Allergies

1. Change Your HVAC Filter. Regularly replacing your filters is one of the best chores you can perform to minimize your allergies at any time of the year. New filters are ideal for trapping the allergens in your house’s air, helping to keep you breathing easy. 

2. Clean Your Air Ducts. Not only do small particles harbor in your HVAC filters, but in your ductwork as well. An air duct cleaning could help ease allergy symptoms and help your HVAC system perform more efficiently. When you call for an air duct cleaning, technicians survey and clean components like your supply/return ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers. 

3. Keep Your Furnace in Good Working Condition. Adequate HVAC maintenance and periodic tune-ups are another easy way to both boost your home’s air quality and keep your heater running as smoothly as possible. Prior to switching your heat on for the first time, it could help to have an HVAC mechanic complete a maintenance examination to confirm your filters and air ducts are clean and everything else is in great condition. 

Allergies and continual illness can be annoying, and it can be tough to learn what’s creating or aggravating them. Here are some additional FAQs, complete with answers and tips that might help.  

Is Forced Air Harmful for Allergies?

Allergy sufferers are typically told that forced air heating might affect your allergies even more. Forced air systems can circulate allergens through the air, leading you to breathing them in more frequently than if you owned a radiant heating system. While it’s true forced air systems might make your allergies not so good, that is only if you put off suitable upkeep of your system. Other than the things we mentioned above, you can also: 

• Dust and vacuum your residence regularly. If there aren’t dust, dander or mold spore particles to accumulate in your air ducts, your air system can’t circulate them into the air, and you can’t inhale them. Some additional cleaning suggestions are: 

• Check your vacuum has a HEPA filter. 
• Dust prior to vacuuming. 
• Clean your curtains periodically, as they are a common harbor of allergens. 

• Make sure to clean behind and under furniture. 

• Check your home’s moisture levels. Increased humidity levels can also contribute to worsening of allergies. Humidity causes mold growth and dust mites. Getting a dehumidifier with your HVAC system keeps moisture levels in check and your indoor air quality much fresher. 

H2: What is the Ideal Furnace Filter for Allergies? 

Typically, HEPA filters are a great fit if you or someone in your household deals with allergies. HEPA filters are rated to filter 99.97 to 99.99% of particles, such as dust, pollen and dirt. These filters have a MERV rating of 17-21, depending on the kind. This rating reveals how successfully a filter can clean pollutants from the air. Because of their high-efficiency filtration construction, HEPA filters are dense and can limit airflow. It’s important to talk to Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning to confirm your heating and cooling system can operate properly with these high efficiency filters. 

Can Dirty Filters or Air Ducts Make Me Sick? 

Dirty filters can hold on to particles and allow poor quality air to recirculate. The same goes for dirty vents. If you inhale these particles it can produce sneezing, coughing or other asthma-related problems, depending on your sensitivity. 

It’s beneficial to replace your HVAC filter after 30-60 days, but here are some signals you may need to sooner: 

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

• You notice more dust in your home. 
• Energy expenses are rising with no apparent reason. 
• Your allergies are popping up more often. 
• Clues your air ducts could use cleaning include: 
• The metal is sitting in dust. 

• Dusty 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 home is frequently dusty, in spite of constant cleaning. 

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