Does fall in Palm City, Florida, cause you to suffer from sneezing, congestion, and watery, red eyes? Did you know that your home HVAC system can help you manage your fall allergies? Learn how HVAC modifications, air purifiers, and other indoor air quality solutions can help you deal with fall allergy symptoms this year.
Common Florida Allergens
Many types of fall allergy symptoms are related to pollen. You may be familiar with the terms "allergic rhinitis" or "hay fever." Symptoms include congestion, coughing, fatigue, itchy eyes, a sore throat, a runny nose, and sneezing. These symptoms result from histamine, which gets released when you breathe in allergens. Histamine can also contribute to asthma symptoms.
Exposure to many types of plants can trigger symptoms of hay fever. Ragweed, a plant which is abundant across Florida, is chief among them. Wind-blown ragweed pollen can travel for hundreds of miles and affects many people who are sensitive to it. In addition to ragweed, other common Florida-based allergens include oak and pine, biological growth, grass pollen, dog fennel, sorrel, and dock.
HVAC Modifications
Although freeing yourself from allergens such as ragweed is nearly impossible, you can reduce your contact with allergy triggers. One approach is to make a few modifications to your HVAC system and its settings.
Consider how you manage humidity levels in your home. During warm days when the air is still, excess humidity inside your home can enable biological growth to develop, and this development can trigger allergic reactions. You can turn to your home’s air conditioner to remove uncomfortable excess moisture in the air. To provide ventilation in areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, use exhaust fans to remove excess humidity created by cooking or taking a warm shower.
Regularly replace the air filter in your HVAC system. Frequent air filter changes can go a long way toward helping your HVAC system perform optimally and reduce the number of airborne indoor allergens.
Whole-Home Indoor Air Quality Solutions
To help combat fall allergens in your home, consider indoor air quality solutions such as whole-home air purifiers and dehumidifiers. Whole-home air purifiers function together with your HVAC system to remove unwanted particles from the air that travels throughout your home. These types of air purifiers can capture smaller airborne particles that a regular HVAC system air filter can’t.
If your air conditioner can’t manage humidity, you can enhance it with a whole-home dehumidifier. Additionally, adding a ventilator can also aid in removing excess humidity from the air inside your home by replacing stagnant indoor air with outdoor air. Installing a UV lamp in your HVAC system can also inhibit the presence of biological growth in the system.
Preventive HVAC System Maintenance
If you want your HVAC system to work effectively, last longer, and be your ally in managing your allergy symptoms, you need to maintain it. Preventive HVAC maintenance can keep your system operating efficiently and effectively. In addition to regularly changing air filters, you should schedule ductwork cleaning.
Consider investing in a preventive HVAC maintenance plan. At Grimes Heating & Air Conditioning, we provide Residential Power Saver Agreements. These HVAC maintenance plans include two comprehensive HVAC tune-ups from our NATE-certified technicians. During these maintenance inspections, we’ll check for items such as dirt and deterioration of the condenser and evaporator coils, clean the condensate drain lines to prevent biological growth, and make sure parts are lubricated and working correctly.
Our HVAC maintenance appointments also allow us to identify potential issues before they lead to expensive repairs or a complete breakdown of your HVAC system.
If fall allergies leave you ready to throw in the towel, give Grimes Heating & Air Conditioning a call today at (772) 800-6416. Our experienced technicians can share the best ways for you to boost your home’s indoor air quality and HVAC system’s operating efficiency so that you can better manage your allergy symptoms this fall.
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