Unless you’re new in town, you know that North Carolina pollen season has arrived. The yellow dust that covers our cars and yards also causes an unpleasant allergic reaction in over 25 million Americans. Although harmless, pollen allergies are irritating and can cause symptoms like itchy eyes and throat, congestion, sneezing, cough, and more. But did you know that your HVAC could be contributing to the cleanliness of the air inside of your home, and causing pollen to seep in and trigger those annoying allergies? Let’s break it down.
Spring HVAC Maintenance
Photo by Serg Biryuchenski on Unsplash
One of the most important steps an HVAC owner can take to protect their home from pollen is AC maintenance. You’ll want to perform maintenance every spring, and if allergies are a concern, then even earlier. During the cold winter months, while your AC unit isn’t running, dust and debris accumulate in the system. Your HVAC maintenance team will check for dirty exterior vents and issues with the evaporator coil.
You’ll also want to make sure your air filter has been changed. The air filter directly impacts the air that you breathe in your home. If the filter is full it can’t do its job to keep out the pollen. Along with better air quality, changing out your air filters helps your unit to perform better and saves energy. You’ll know it’s time to change out your air filter if it is dark in color. Air filters should be white!
Along with the steps we mentioned above, there is another measure you can take to keep your home pollen-free. During your spring maintenance appointment, have the team clean out your ducts as well. Dust, dirt, debris, and pollen can accumulate inside the ducts and impact the quality of the air being pumped into your home. Don’t forget about this important step!
Keeping Pollen Out of Your Home
Aside from HVAC maintenance, there are other measures you can take to keep pollen levels inside your home at a low and allergies at bay. Opening windows can be tempting in the beautiful spring weather, but it can also contribute to issues with pollen allergies. Airing out your home is important, but you should be strategic about when to do it. Our best advice is to only open windows and doors for extended periods of time on days with no wind and a low pollen count. And remember, on days when windows stay closed, set your AC to re-circulate.
Lastly, give your space a deep cleaning. If your home is already filled with pollen, taking the above measures won’t be vastly helpful with allergies. Along with floors and window sills, don’t forget to clean your ceiling fans, upholstery, and bedding on a regular basis.
Have any more questions about how you can keep your home pollen-free with the help of 6 & Fix? Contact us.
