Five Tips To Alleviate Indoor Allergies With The Help Of Your AC
For allergy sufferers, an open window in spring or summer can be a day of misery. For this reason, the home air conditioning unit can be a major blessing when it comes to allergy relief. If you are still suffering from indoor allergies, though, then you may need to look over these five tips to ensure your AC is really helping to alleviate your allergies.
1. Update Your Filter
Not all AC filters are created equally. As an allergy sufferer, you need a filter that has small enough pores to catch the pollen, dust, and mold spores that are responsible for more indoor allergies. Choose a HEPA filter with a high MERV rating. HEPA filters are designed to catch allergens, while the MERV rating lets you know the efficiency level of the filtration.
2. Install a UV Purifier
If mold and bacteria is the root of most of your allergies, then a IV purifier can solve much of the problem. Air passes through the UV filter before it is circulated through the AC and back into your home. The UV light kills the mold and bacteria so it can't affect you if you breath it in.
3. Clean Your Ducts
Dirty ducts can harbor mold spores, dust, and pollen. Then, when air is forced through the ducts all of those allergens are released into your home to cause havoc. Dusting around your ducts and using the wand attachment of your vacuum to clean the reachable areas inside ducts helps cut down on the amount of allergens in the system. You may also need to schedule periodic professional duct cleanings.
4. Manage the Humidity
High humidity levels, which can be common during the summer cooling season, can lead to an increase in mold growth and mold allergies. If you live in a humid area, it then makes sense to have a whole house dehumidifier installed on your AC system. The dehumidifier will pull out the excess moisture in the air and reduce the chances of mold growth and the resulting allergies.
5. Schedule an AC Cleaning
It's not just the filters and ducts that can harbor allergens, the actual AC unit can also collect allergens and then circulate them into your home. Plan for an annual AC maintenance visit to solve this problem. Your AC contractor can remove the housing on the unit and clean out the blower and other components to make sure there are no allergens present to circulate throughout the house.
To learn more about how to care for your air conditioning unit and reduce allergens, contact professionals in your area.