Allergens and How to Improve Your IAQ

Here’s some startling news that you might not have heard but is definitely worth sharing: the air in most homes in the greater Palm Bay area is more polluted than outside. From dust mites to pet dander and mold spores, allergens constitute a large portion of the airborne contaminants that tend to get trapped indoors. Here’s how to improve your home’s indoor air quality so everyone can breathe easier.

Exposure to Indoor Allergens

A chronic cough, itchy eyes, nasal congestion — if you’re someone who suffers from allergies, you know all too well the effects that allergens have on your health and well-being. Breathing in allergens inside your home can also trigger asthma attacks and worsen other respiratory conditions. While older adults and young children are most susceptible to the ill effects of indoor allergens, long-term exposure poses health risks to every family member.

Fortunately, there are simple, practical steps you can take to help keep your domicile allergen-free. Start by ensuring you don’t increase the number of allergens floating through your home. These five basic strategies can help.

• Keep windows and doors closed during pollen season and keep your air conditioning system running.
• If you venture outside when pollen counts are high, clean your clothing, hair, and pets immediately when you return home.
• Appoint a designated spot for shoes and outerwear so you don’t track allergens throughout the house.
• Stay up to date on your housekeeping chores. Wash your bedding each week in hot water, and vacuum carpeting and upholstered furniture frequently.
• Shower or bathe in the evenings. The last thing you want is to take irritating allergens to bed with you.

HVAC Solutions to Indoor Allergens

For an HVAC professional, it’s not enough to ensure that your home maintains a comfortable temperature year-round. The air indoors should stay clean and healthy too. In addition to providing heating and cooling services, qualified HVAC technicians offer a variety of indoor air quality solutions. Explore the most popular, efficient and effective products for improving air quality described below.

HVAC Filter Changes

When it comes to combatting indoor air pollution, the filters in your air conditioning and heating systems are your first line of defense. Even so, that’s not their primary purpose. The function of the flat-panel filters that come with most HVAC systems is to keep dirt and contaminants from accumulating on critical components. Regular filter changes help clean the air and safeguard the equipment. It can also save you money! Replacing a filter clogged with dirt can lower the system’s energy consumption by up to 15%.

Air Purifiers and Cleaners

If housekeeping and frequent filter changes don’t provide relief from your allergy symptoms, it’s time to think about whole-home air cleaners. Installed in the ductwork of your central air HVAC system, they help keep allergens from circulating through your home. Here are three types of air cleaners to consider.

• Operating like a stack of filters, box-like media air cleaners use multiple layers of material to trap small particles.
• Whole-house air purifiers use electrostatic plates to attract and capture tiny particulates.
• Installed in the air ducts or near AC cooling coils, UV lights use ultraviolet radiation to destroy biological contaminants.

Balancing Humidity Levels

When it comes to indoor air pollution and allergies, high humidity levels only worsen the problem. Too much moisture in your home allows biological contaminants like mold spores to thrive and multiply. In a climate like Palm Bay, FL, installing a dehumidifier helps keep the air cool and dry during the long summer season.

Why live in an environment that aggravates your allergy symptoms? Find some much-needed relief with a little help from the experts at Next Generation Air & Heat, Inc. Since 2007, we’ve been proud to provide communities in the greater Palm Bay region with top-quality HVAC services. For more information, explore our indoor air quality services section or call us today!