How Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Allergies

August 03, 2017

While many people correlate allergy symptoms with pollen, pollution and other irritants in the air outside your home, your interior air quality can have a large impact on your symptoms. According to the EPA, “In the last several years, a increasing body of scientific evidence has specified that the air inside homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outside air in even the largest and most industrialized cities. Other research shows that people fill approximately 90 percent of their time within a home or building. Thus, for many people, the risks to health may be bigger due to more interaction with air pollution indoors than outdoors.”

Our Alliance homes are polluted by outdoor allergens like pollen that find their way in out homes, and by irritants like pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, chemicals from ordinary household cleansers and more. So, what can you do about it? The solution is already in your home! It’s your HVAC system.

You should know that your HVAC can be your best friend or your foe when it comes to controlling your allergies. A dirty system can foster and distribute allergens throughout your home, so the key is to keep your system functioning properly. First and foremost, you have to keep your air filters clean. Set a reminder or set it on your calendar to look at them monthly and swap them out when you see that they’re fairly dirty. They’ll usually need to be changed every two or three months, but this can vary considerably from household to household. You can get filters that span from the most basic level of filtering to hospital-grade HEPA filters. The experts at Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces can help you decide which kind of filter will keep your home clean and keep your HVAC operating properly.

It’s also important to have your system habitually checked by a professional to keep your inside air quality where it should be. As well as checking that all-important filter, your service specialist will clean the internal workings of your system and make sure that everything is running as it should. You can also ask your specialist if a duct cleaning would be needed.

When it comes to your internal air quality, you can rely on the experts at Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces to take good care of you. In addition to helping you keep your HVAC system up-to-date, we can help you know that you have the tools you need to fight poor indoor air quality and allergens—like humidifiers and whole home air purifiers. Just give us a call at 308-321-4703 to ensure your home’s air is healthy and clean.