If you suffer from allergies during the winter months in Arizona, it’s likely you want to make your home a safe retreat. Unfortunately, your HVAC system can hurt your home’s indoor air quality if you don’t use it correctly. However, when implemented appropriately, your HVAC system can actually help improve your indoor air quality. This can go a long way in reducing your wintertime allergy flare-ups and enhancing your overall comfort while relaxing at home.
Understanding Wintertime Allergies
During the colder winter season, your home is closed up to keep more of your warmth inside. Unfortunately, this can allow any trapped allergens like dust mites, pet dander, and even mold spores to remain inside your home. Many of these thrive in the warm and dry environment that your home creates during the winter.
Many homeowners will experience sneezing, itchy eyes, fatigue, coughing, and even runny or stuffy noses throughout the winter. When you start noticing these symptoms more frequently, it likely points to a problem with your indoor air quality. Taking proactive steps to enhance your air quality can help dramatically increase your comfort.
Indoor Air Quality and Your HVAC System
The most obvious way that your HVAC system affects your indoor air quality is by circulating airborne allergens throughout your home. If you fail to get routine tune-up services, you can have clogged air filters, dirty components, and other contributors that can increase the concentrations of allergens in your home. This can greatly reduce your indoor air quality and lead to more frequent allergy flare-ups. Fortunately, investing in annual maintenance service is one of the best ways to ensure your HVAC system doesn’t worsen your indoor air quality.
It’s also important to note that the ductwork for your HVAC system can accumulate debris, dust, and even mold over time. If there are leaks or improperly sealed air ducts, they can pull in debris from your attic, walls, or even your crawl space. This can further deteriorate your indoor air quality. It’s best to invest in routine cleaning of your ductwork about every three to five years and sealing service every eight to 10 years.
Air filters can be a great line of defense against poor indoor air quality. High-quality filters can capture pollen, pet dander, dust, and other airborne particles that could otherwise circulate throughout your home. It’s important to check your air filter at least once a month and replace it whenever necessary.
A dirty or clogged air filter can restrict airflow and cause your system to work harder while trapping more allergens in your living space. We suggest purchasing a filter with a MERV rating between 11 and 13. This offers the best filtering capabilities while still optimizing system performance.
The humidity in your home can have a significant impact on your allergy symptoms. When the humidity level is too low, it can exacerbate your symptoms, as it dries out your mucous membranes in your nose and throat. As your HVAC system runs, it can actually cause the air to dry out even more. You can counteract this by installing a whole-home humidification system that works alongside your HVAC unit.
You can set a relative indoor humidity level between 30 and 50% to optimize your comfort while minimizing allergy symptoms. This system will introduce moisture into the air whenever your humidity level drops below your desired setting. It does this by introducing it into the air that travels through your ducting.
Most Common Wintertime Indoor Allergies
Arizona homeowners can experience a plethora of different allergens in their homes throughout the winter months. One of the most common are dust mites. These are microscopic creatures that feed on dead skin cells and tend to thrive in places like your carpeting, furniture, and bedding. They stay indoors during the winter months because of a lack of natural ventilation throughout your home. It’s best to use a high-efficiency filter to remove these from your indoor air.
Another common wintertime allergen is pet dander. As your pets shed fur and skin cells, their dander circulates throughout your home. With your pets spending more time indoors during the winter months due to the weather, this can increase the percentage of pet dander in the air. Keeping up with routine air filter changes and ductwork cleaning can help to mitigate the circulation of pet dander throughout your home.
As your family spends more time indoors, you’ll likely partake more in cooking and cleaning. These activities can release harmful chemicals into the air that can worsen your indoor air quality. Without proper ventilation, these pollutants can easily circulate through your HVAC system. It’s best to always use your exhaust fans in the bathroom when bathing and your range hood in the kitchen when cooking.
HVAC Tips for Reducing Indoor Allergens
Fortunately, there are a number of different steps you can take to ensure your HVAC system helps to improve your indoor air quality instead of worsening it during the winter season. Getting routine maintenance and keeping up with regular air filter changes is an absolute must. Investing in a whole-home humidification system can help you better manage indoor humidity levels and reduce respiratory irritation caused by dry air conditions.
Taking the time to have your ductwork properly cleaned and sealed can reduce allergen accumulation and minimize the introduction of new allergens into your ducting. A great tool that can significantly improve your indoor air quality is a whole-home air purification system. These can be installed alongside your HVAC unit to treat all the air as it moves through your air ducts. There are a few different types of whole-home air purification devices that you can purchase. Many will get rid of airborne contaminants down to bacteria and virus pathogens.
Other Helpful Tips for Boosting Air Quality in the Winter
Apart from optimizing your HVAC for optimal air quality, there are some lifestyle changes you can make throughout your home to further enhance your indoor air quality. One of the most important things is to invest in a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter. This will remove small airborne contaminants, like dust mites, that are located within your carpet. Be sure to dust the surfaces throughout your home routinely and wash your bedding on a weekly basis.
If you have pets in your home, consider frequent grooming to control pet dander. Avoid purchasing cleaning agents that have toxic VOC chemicals. Instead, look for green cleaning products that don’t release these negative chemicals into your indoor air. You should also avoid activities like burning candles indoors, which can contribute to adding more toxins to your indoor air. Opt for opening your windows for about 15 minutes on days when the temperature is mild. This can dilute the concentration of indoor air pollutants.
Professional IAQ Service
Cool Zone Air Conditioning & Heating provides professional IAQ services for the Peoria, AZ area. We can assist with all HVAC installation, replacement, repair, and maintenance needs. Simply phone our office today to book your next service consultation with one of our helpful technicians.
