Allergy Relief With These Indoor Air Quality Strategies

As spring returns, so do allergies. All of the pretty trees and flowers in San Diego that make some people happy make others miserable.

Staying inside doesn’t always help. The air quality inside most homes is worse than outside. But there are several things that allergy sufferers can do to help reduce the number of allergens that get circulated throughout their homes. Here are some of them:

• Replace the filters in your heating and air conditioning system. When the filters get clogged, regular airflow may become obstructed, and indoor pollutants get recirculated into the air. New filters are a quick and easy way to get allergy relief, and will help your system run more efficiently.
• Clean your windows to remove dust, cobwebs and other debris. Clean windows will give you more light and remove debris that is likely to trap additional pollen or other allergens.
• Park your car in your garage. Doing so means you won’t have to go outside to go between it and your house, and you won’t drag allergens in on your clothing.
• Use a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifier to remove particles from your home’s air.

Although HEPA filters are often more expensive than other filter options, they will offer the most allergy relief because they are capable of catching very small airborne particles. Air filters overall are given a MERV rating of between 1 and 20 (the MERV rating is a measure of the filter’s efficiency), and true HEPA filters have a MERV of between 17 and 20.

There are HEPA air purifiers that will clean a single room, but some furnaces and air conditioners are also able to use HEPA filters, which would bring whole-house relief from allergens. Check your equipment’s documentation or consult a professional to make sure your HVAC equipment has enough airflow to use a high efficiency filter.

Air purification is complicated, especially if you have health issues that are being affected by the air quality in your home. To find out more, contact ASI Hastings Heating and Air Conditioning. We can help you sort out the options and find the best solution for you.