Did you know that your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can help reduce allergens in your home? Installing addons like air purifiers helps your HVAC system capture many common allergens in the air. Even if you have a basic HVAC system, it can still make a difference in managing your allergies.
For the best results, you can use a combination of air purifiers to eliminate as many allergens as possible. You can help by changing your air filters every 30 to 60 days. Here are some of our suggestions to alleviate allergens in your home.
1. Try a HEPA Filter
Did you know that the air inside our homes is filled with tiny particles like pollen, dust, and pet dander? These particles can make us feel unwell, especially if we have allergies. But there’s good news – we can make ourselves feel better by cleaning these particles out of the air.
Fortunately, modern technology makes that easy. HEPA filters will remove at least 99.7% of small particles from the air. While some tiny microbes can make it through them, they are highly effective against most allergens.
2. Consider an Electronic Filter
Electronic air filters are a great alternative to pleated air filters. They use static electricity to trap small particles. These filters start by ionizing particles in the air, which gives them an electric charge. As particles pass through the system, they encounter plates with the opposite charge. Those plates attract the particles and trap them.
Electrostatic filters offer several unique advantages that can help with allergies. They are highly resistant to mold growth compared to pleated filters and are easy to maintain. You should consider using one if you want a simple, convenient way to deal with allergens.
3. Install a Carbon Filter
While traditional filters are effective against airborne particles, they do not capture chemical fumes. If you are sensitive to fragrances or other gaseous irritants, you will need an extra layer of protection. Activated carbon filters are the most popular choice. They trap volatile organic compounds and other hazardous chemicals.
Conversely, carbon filters are ineffective against most airborne particles. Fortunately, many air purifiers use multiple filters. You can combine a carbon filter with a particulate filter to protect yourself against most airborne allergens.
4. Control Your Home’s Humidity Levels
Mold is common in Tampa’s homes because it thrives in warm and wet environments. Unfortunately, it is also a common allergen. Mold reproduces by releasing spores into the air. They spread throughout your home and grow when they land on moist surfaces. Mold multiplies, so even a small patch can cause serious problems.
While air purifiers can trap mold spores, preventing mold from growing is better. In theory, you can remove all the mold from your home. Unfortunately, that can be difficult. Mold tends to grow in isolated areas, such as attics. It is easy to overlook a small patch of mold in those areas.
Fortunately, your HVAC system can prevent most mold growth. A whole-home dehumidifier will disrupt the mold’s life cycle by drying the air, stopping the mold from spreading and contaminating the air. Your air purifier will eliminate any remaining spores.
5. Use UV Lights
You can also control mold growth by deactivating the spores. Most microbial contaminants, including mold spores, are vulnerable to UV light. Their genetic material breaks down relatively quickly in the presence of strong lighting in the UV-C range. That is usually sufficient to stop them from spreading.
Ahoy! Cooling & Heating HVAC technicians can help by installing UV lights in your HVAC system. The UV lights will disinfect the air as it passes through the system. It happens in a closed chamber, so you do not need to worry about exposing yourself to UV lights.
UV lights are highly effective, but a few spores will escape them. For example, some may land before they enter your HVAC system. You can expect a set of UV lights to eliminate up to 99% of microbes in the air. That is enough to alleviate most allergy symptoms. You can pair your UV lights with a filter or dehumidifier if you want more protection.
6. Portable and Whole-Home Purifiers
You can purchase a portable air purifier, which is small and easy to use, but it may not be powerful enough to clean the air in a whole house. You will need a larger system for that.
Portable systems can be handy as temporary air purifiers until you have a permanent solution. Some activities can put a lot of particles into the air. For example, most pets shed and release dander while you groom them. A portable air purifier can catch that dander before it spreads to the rest of your home.
Whole-home air purifiers offer more protection than portable air purifiers. They are relatively large and powerful machines that integrate with your HVAC system. The filter purifies all of the air in your house. Whole-home systems need maintenance but are the quickest and easiest way to eliminate most allergens.
7. Maintain Your Ducts
Some parts of your home, such as your air ducts, trap more allergens than others. Dirty air carries dust, pollen, and other particles into the system. Some of those particles settle out of the air and build up inside the ducts—the ducts in an average Tampa home trap roughly 40 pounds of debris yearly. Mold can also grow inside your air ducts, especially in humid homes.
Those dirty air ducts will aggravate your allergies. As air passes through the system, it can pick up some particles and spread them throughout your home. The allergens can also escape the ducts through cracks and leaks.
Proper duct maintenance will solve that problem. You can start by having our professional team of HVAC technicians clean them. You should not attempt to do it yourself because your air ducts are fragile. Only an experienced technician can clean them without the risk of severe damage. You should also have an HVAC technician thoroughly examine your ducts for cracks and other problems.
Most air ducts have leaks, and fixing them will prevent allergy problems.
Call Ahoy! Cooling & Heating Professional HVAC Company
Ahoy! Cooling & Heating can help you manage your allergies and enhance the air quality in your home. Our team offers fast and dependable HVAC services in Tampa. We can install and maintain air filters, purifiers, and other important air quality systems. Our technicians stay updated on the latest air quality technology to ensure we provide the most helpful comfort systems.
Our HVAC air purifier systems are really good at keeping your home comfortable. Financing is available for those whose credit is approved for installation service. We also offer online promotions to help lower the costs of our services. Have questions about whether we are right for you? Ask around or read our online reviews to see for yourself!
We can help you get relief from your allergy symptoms. Contact Ahoy! Cooling & Heating today to learn more and schedule an appointment.
