How to Reduce Spring Allergies in Your Home

Seasonal allergies can make it hard to enjoy the mild spring weather here in Michigan. The warming outdoor temperatures and spring rains cause trees, grasses and weeds to send out clouds of pollen. Staying indoors can help you avoid most of the pollen, but it leaves you vulnerable to common indoor allergens like mold, dust, dust mites and dander.

Tips for Making Your Home an Allergen-Free Zone

Some pollen is going to get into your home, even if you keep the doors and windows closed up. To limit your exposure to pollen and reduce the chance of reactions to indoor allergens, we recommend taking these steps:

• Clean and vacuum more often. A couple of times each week, wipe down surfaces and give the house a good vacuuming to get rid of allergens as they settle from the air. Start your cleaning in each room with the HVAC vents. Remove each register or grille, wipe it down, and then thoroughly vacuum inside the duct opening.
• Give your ductwork some TLC. Leaky or damaged ductwork can let allergens and other contaminants into your HVAC system. From there, they’ll get circulated through your home with each cycle of the blower fan. Getting the ductwork inspected, repaired then sealed and insulated can help keep allergens out of your air supply.
• Amp up air filtration. A basic HVAC air filter can only capture large particles that may harm sensitive system components. For more effective filtration that removes pollen, mold and other allergens, investigate your options for adding an air cleaner to your HVAC system. These units pull the air supply through a highly-efficient filter to trap tiny allergen particles, without adversely affecting system airflow.
• Schedule an HVAC maintenance visit. When a trained technician tunes up your HVAC system in the spring, the equipment will run more reliably and efficiently all summer. During a maintenance visit, your technician also cleans components like the condensate drain, evaporator coil and air handler so they’re free from irritating allergens.

To learn effective ways to reduce spring allergies in your Lorain home, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.