How Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Allergies

August 03, 2017

While many people associate allergy symptoms with pollen, pollution and other irritants out of your home, your internal air quality can have a big impact on your symptoms. According to the EPA, “In the last several years, a increasing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the external air in even the biggest and most industrialized cities. Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time within a home or building. Therefore, for a lot of people, the risks to health may be larger due to more contact with air pollution indoors than outdoors.”

Our Bishop homes are full of outdoor allergens like pollen that force their way in out homes, and by irritants like pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, chemicals from ordinary household cleaners and more. So, what can you do about it? The solution is already in your home! It’s your HVAC system.

You should realize that your HVAC can be your best friend or your nemesis when it comes to handling your allergies. A dirty system can foster and circulate allergens all over your home, so the key is to keep your system functioning properly. First and foremost, you must keep your air filters clean. Set a reminder or mark it on your calendar to look at them monthly and swap them out when you see that they’re getting dirty. They’ll typically need to be changed every two or three months, but this can vary greatly from home to household. You can get filters that vary from the most straightforward level of filtering to hospital-grade HEPA filters. The experts at Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning can help you determine which kind of filter will keep your home healthy and keep your HVAC running efficiently.

It’s also crucial to have your system routinely serviced by an expert to keep your inside air quality where it should be. As well as inspecting that critical filter, your service technician will clean the internal workings of your system and make sure that everything is operating as it should. You can also ask your technician if a duct cleaning would be beneficial.

When it comes to your interior air quality, you can rely on the professionals at Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning to take good care of you. Besides helping you keep your HVAC system operating, we can help you know that you have the tools you need to fight poor indoor air quality and allergens—like humidifiers and whole home air purifiers. Just give us a call at 760-784-9034 to confirm that your home’s air is healthy and clean.