Stop your sneezing, red eyes, itchy throat, and runny nose by cleaning your heating and cooling system regularly.
Are you one of the millions of Americans who suffer from allergies every year? Do you find that they’re worse when you’re in your own home? If so, then you might need to get your HVAC system cleaned by a professional in your neck of the woods.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside your home may have up to five times the pollutants as the air outside your home, including that pollen, mold, dust mites, and pet dander that cause allergic reactions. Your HVAC system helps to deliver these allergens throughout your home if you don’t properly maintain them.
Here’s how regular maintenance on your heating and cooling systems can help reduce indoor allergens in your home and keep you and your family breathing easier year-round:
Regular cleaning of your indoor and outdoor units helps keep dust and debris at bay. Air conditioners and heaters pull air from the outside and then heat or cool it before circulating it throughout your home. Unfortunately, dust, debris, and other pollutants can ride in on the air and settle in your HVAC system. The only way to remedy that is through regular cleaning of both the indoor and outdoor parts of your system. This is one reason that it’s important to have your system cleaned and schedule annual air conditioning tune-ups as well as heating and furnace tune-ups.
Your HVAC provider generally cleans the parts during an annual maintenance call. They will check the unit for buildup and blockages and then sweep, vacuum and dust the indoor and outdoor units as needed to properly maintain the system. They will also check for leaks, which can allow gases like carbon monoxide to back up into your home, which can be poisonous to people and animals if it goes unchecked.
You may also have your HVAC provider inspect your ductwork for buildups and blockages, which may decrease the energy efficiency of your unit as a whole and keeps dust, debris, and other pollutants circulating throughout your home.
We recommend having your units and ductwork cleaned at the same time to avoid cross-contamination in the future.
Checking for mold. Consider getting an air quality check if you have a musty odor emanating from your vents. It is uncommon in arid, dry climates like Denver, but you may have mold growing in your HVAC system. Mold thrives in humid and moist environments, which are not typical for Colorado. However, a whole-home humidifier may add extra moisture to your system and cause mold to build up over time.
If the air quality check comes up positive for mold, have your HVAC provider take a look at your ductwork and HVAC unit to see if they can find the source of the problem. They can clean your ducts and unit for you or recommend another professional to complete the job. They can also make recommendations to prevent mold from growing in the future, which is important to your health.
Mold spores don’t just cause allergies; they can cause sickness and even death if left unchecked. And can make your home uninhabitable.
Using high-quality filters. Air filters are your first line of defense when cleaning dust and other allergens from your air. That’s because the air goes through the filter before entering your heating and cooling units, your ductwork, and your home. But not all filters are created equal. Invest in filters that have a MERV rating of at least 8 to trap microscopic particles, like pet dander, pollen, mold, dust mites, and insect droppings.
Then check your filters monthly and replace them every 60-90 days to ensure your heating and cooling systems are not introducing new pollutants into your home. A dirty filter will not trap dirt and debris like it’s supposed to and can decrease your energy efficiency. Your unit will have to work harder to push the air through the dirty filter.
Consult with your HVAC provider or check your HVAC system’s manual to determine the maximum MERV rating for your unit. A filter that’s rated too high can cause airflow problems and may damage your system.
Spring is a great time to have your furnace and air conditioner cleaned and tuned up. Contact Summit Heating & A/C to schedule your maintenance appointment today. We’ll help keep your system healthy and reduce indoor allergens in your Denver-area home.
Check our website to learn more about our spring promotion and our annual service plans.
At Summit Heating & A/C, we work hard to ensure your satisfaction on every job. If it’s not 100% right, it’s 100% free.
