Are you someone who suffers from severe allergies every spring? If so, you’re likely already tired of all the sneezing, coughing, sore throats, and dry/itchy eyes you’ve been dealing with since the weather started to warm up. Seasonal allergies aren’t something that anyone wants.
Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do inside your home to help lessen the severity of your spring allergies when you’re spending time indoors. This is also great news if there are other family members who suffer with these unwanted health issues.
Tip #1: Schedule a tune-up appointment for your HVAC systems.
If you haven’t already done so this spring, now is a great time to schedule a maintenance appointment for your home’s air conditioner — before the weather gets hot and appointment times are booked. During a tune-up, a skilled and experienced technician will carefully inspect and clean all working components inside your unit to be sure they’re operating efficiently and aren’t full of dust. A dusty, dirty cooling system doesn’t work as well as it could to keep your home comfortable. Additionally, when the inside of your AC is dirty, your unit may also be picking up and circulating dust as it pushes cool air out through your home. In turn, this could cause a variety of health problems for your loved ones, including worsened allergies.
If you haven’t scheduled a maintenance appointment for your furnace in over a year, now is the ideal time to do that, too. Even though you are likely not planning to use your heating system many more times before hot weather arrives, it’s recommended that you get this unit cleaned and inspected, as well, so that it’s ready for use once fall returns later this year. You’ll also beat the rush of people scheduling their furnace tune-up appointments when the cold weather arrives.
All in all, clean heating and cooling systems operate more efficiently and circulate cleaner air for your family to breathe.
Tip #2: Replace your air filter monthly.
If you are someone who suffers from seasonal allergies this time of year, then you could benefit greatly from replacing your filter monthly. The filter’s job is to prevent airborne pollutants like dirt, dust, pet hair, skin dander, etc. from getting pushed out into your ductwork along with the conditioned air from your heating/cooling systems.
When you don’t replace the filter often, dirt and grime can build up on it. This can cause your heating and cooling systems to work harder than usual to maintain the temperature set on your thermostat. And that could cause premature wear and tear on your units, as well as higher energy bills each month.
But even worse, a dirty filter could jeopardize your family’s indoor air quality and lead to allergy symptoms getting worse when spending time indoors.
Tip #3: Have your duct cleaned often.
Your ductwork is the pathway for circulating conditioned air from your furnace or AC out through the various vents in your home. Professionals recommend that you get your ducts cleaned every few years. Failure to do so could result in a build-up of dirt and dust. This could cause inconsistent temperatures throughout your home since conditioned air can’t easily make its way through the ducts, and it could also cause problems for your family’s indoor air quality.
Also, it’s important to get your ducts cleaned and looked at regularly. It’s possible that potential problems with the ductwork itself — such as holes or loosened panels — could be discovered. These are issues to have a heating and cooling professional take care of as soon as possible.
Bonus tip!
For extra protection for your home’s heating and cooling systems, enroll in the Heating Repair and Cooling Repair plans from Oncourse Home Solutions. Visit us online and enter your ZIP code to see plans and pricing applicable to your area.
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