ALLERGIES AND YOUR AIR CONDITIONER

For many people suffering with allergies, their air conditioning units may be the culprit for those hazy sinus’. Often times, homeowners believe that the air filters in our furnaces and air conditioners remove dust and allergens from the air we breath. When in reality, HVAC filters were not designed with that in mind. HVAC filters were actually designed to keep dust out of the equipment itself and to protect the unit from damage to keep it running effectively. While HVAC filters do help to remove some dust from the air when changed often , they do little to trap the microscopic particles that cause all of that sneezing and wheezing of allergy season.

Those white paper filters that are often purchased for HVAC units are designed to trap large particles of dust  to protect the motor and fans .Other harmful particles like mold, bacteria, and certain types of pollen are so tiny that they slip right through the fibers of those regular filters.
What does that mean for air quality? It means that those allergens get circulated through your ductwork and blown back into your space through traditional HVAC units. There are simple fixes to this common problem, such as allergen filters or more commonly, HEPA filters. These filters have smaller woven fibers to trap smaller particles, however this option cannot guarantee that those particles are not coming into your air space.

Using the right air filters for allergies may help to reduce the allergens in the air, but regular air conditioning maintenance and cleaning is even more important with HEPA filters. If you haven’t had your air conditioning system maintained at least once every year, your system likely has high levels of buildup on the blower fans and in your ductwork.

Each day, the air you breathe is cycled through your HVAC systen 5-7 times. each day? Right now, there could be a year’s worth of dust, pollen and even mold spores are sitting in on your equipment and inside your duct work.

Investing in HVAC maintenance will not only save your equipment, it will create a cleaner, more comfortable environment in your home or office.

Categories:
DIY Air Conditioning

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