Reduce Allergens with a Good HVAC System

How to Stop Allergies with Better Indoor Air Quality

Looking at your HVAC system is a good step to take if you’re trying to reduce allergens in your home.

While it is next to impossible to control your exposure to environmental allergens outside the home (without covering yourself up completely and breathing through a face mask), controlling your exposure to allergens indoors, luckily, is a different story.

What is an Allergen?

An allergen is something that can cause an allergic reaction or an asthma attack in people who suffer from these. Environmental allergens are airborne, but they can settle onto the hard and soft surfaces in our home, where they will linger. While the size of an allergen can vary somewhat, they are generally measured in micrometres. Since a micrometre is 1-millionth the size of a metre, as you can imagine, most environmental allergen particles are not easily visible unless they have gathered in larger numbers.

Can an HVAC System Help with Reducing Allergens in the Home?

A properly installed and maintained HVAC system can help filter and dehumidify the air in your home, which in turn greatly reduces the number of contaminants (including allergens) in the air.

Fortunately, an HVAC system, along with some due diligence on the homeowner’s part, can virtually wipe out exposure to allergens within the home.

The filter in an HVAC system will keep contaminants from re-circulating in the air, which removes airborne allergens from the equation. An HVAC also deals with other potential allergens that aren’t airborne such as mold and mildew. By dehumidifying the air in your home, your HVAC system reduces the amount of moisture and thus eliminates the potential for mold and mildew to develop.

Here are a few proactive steps that you can take to help make sure your HVAC is in peak condition and doing the job you need it to:

• Have your unit repaired as needed.
• Have your unit cleaned at least once a year.
• Change or clean your HVAC’s filters regularly – up to 4X per year.
• Make sure your ducts and HVAC units do not have leaks or corrosion.
• Use filters specifically designed to stop allergens.

When it comes to filters, not all of them are created equal. Paper filters, for example, do not stop allergens. HEPA filters do, but they have a rating system that reflects their efficiency in trapping these particles. This system is called the Minimum Efficiency Reporting System (MERV), and it ranges from 1 to 12, with 12 being used for filters that are capable of removing smaller particles (like pollen).

HEPA filters need to be changed about every two months, or more often according to where you live. This is because HEPA filters are designed to trap particles that will go through regular paper filters. So, in order for your HVAC to be efficient in cleaning the air in your home, regular attention needs to be given to the state of the filter.

Whether you’re looking to reduce allergens or you’re just looking for an efficient way to heat and cool your house with one system, get in touch with Lockhart Industries for all your Duncan to Victoria BC HVAC needs.