How Your Furnace Might Be Causing Your Allergies and How You Can Prevent Them
Allergies have various triggers. One of the things that can trigger them is poor air quality at home, which can happen if your furnace is not checked properly.
Your home’s furnace can trigger winter allergies as it causes congestion and makes our nasal passages dry. Also, heating ducts have the whole summer to accumulate dust as well as other allergens. So, once you start turning your heater again on mid to late October, you’ll find yourself coughing and sneezing a lot. When you turn the furnace on again, it doesn’t just circulate warm air throughout the house. It also tends to spew out all the mold, dust, and even some insect parts accumulated in the heating vents. This is particularly the case if you haven’t cleaned your heating ducts for a long time. Another reason your furnace might be causing your allergies is because they produce a byproduct called nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide is a form of odorless gas which can cause nose, eyes, and throat irritation as well as breathing shortness.
The good thing is you have lots of ways to do something about it. You can get started with the following steps:
USE ONLY HIGH-QUALITY AIR FILTERS
Your furnace filters must be of top quality. Choose one that can efficiently trap microscopic particles. You should be changing your filters regularly—ideally every 2 months. If not, it will no longer be able to trap particles. This doesn’t only lead to allergy triggers but also hampers your system’s overall efficiency. You can change your air filters by yourself or have a professional help you with it.
CLEAN OFF ANY DEBRIS AROUND YOUR UNITS
Get rid of dust and other airborne particles by dusting, sweeping, and vacuuming the part surrounding the unit. Both your indoor and outdoor units must be cleared of any debris and other unnecessary objects. Focus on dusting and cleaning the vents and the register because these are the parts where most dust accumulates easily.
HAVE REGULAR HVAC MAINTENANCE
Maintain your HVAC well and clean it regularly. This is the basic step to avoid it from spreading allergens around the house. Hire a furnace professional and schedule a regular maintenance to make sure that your system is free from dust that can clog it up and harm you and the unit itself. Taking the time to follow this step can save you from a pack of trouble in the future
Your furnace can actually help you get rid of allergens and not the other way around if you keep it well tuned up. Tuning up your furnace regularly will not only keep you healthy and but also make your furnace system work efficiently, saving you money in the long run. There are also some HVAC systems that can draw air in from the outside to improve ventilation. When the ventilation is improved, mold growth and other indoor pollution sources can be eliminated. Even your allergies can be kept at bay. Furnaces don’t cause allergens if you regularly keep it in check.
