Allergies are consistent threats to the health and comfort of many people in Westminster, MD and beyond. However, it’s good to know that your air conditioner can be a useful tool in your quest to avoid allergic reactions. Here are some ways you can use your AC to combat allergies.
Keep the Filters Clean
To minimize the incidence of allergy symptoms in your home, you must keep your indoor air quality (IAQ) as high as possible. The greatest tool that your AC has to accomplish that is its air filters.
Naturally, over time, as the filters do their job, they will gather dust, dirt and other debris. Eventually, if this coating grows thick enough, it may actually inhibit airflow and negatively impact your AC’s performance. Worse yet, the constantly flowing air tends to disturb the dust sitting on the filters and spread it around your home, and this can aggravate your allergies.
To stop all this from happening, make sure that air filters never become too dirty. Depending on the type you use, clean them or change them out every one to three months.
Consider Upgrading the Filters
If you happen to be especially sensitive to tiny pollutants, merely keeping your AC’s filters clean may not be enough. You may need to upgrade your AC and give it some stronger filters.
All HVAC air filters have a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV). The MERV rating dictates how effectively a filter can remove pollutants from the air, with higher-rated filters able to catch greater proportions of smaller-diameter particles.
We recommend using filters with a MERV rating of 8 to 13. Filters with a MERV higher than 13 may be so restrictive that they actually hinder your system’s airflow.
Schedule Regular Maintenance
For your AC to perform its air filtration function well, it must remain in generally good condition. If the overall state of its parts deteriorates too much, its ability to keep your air clean, as well as every other thing that it can do, will take a nosedive. Unfortunately, the issues that lead to such deterioration are often not immediately visible and may not reveal themselves with any overt signs until things have gotten very bad indeed.
Repairs may be able to resolve such issues, but it’s better to prevent them with maintenance. Our technicians can examine your system, discover any latent issues and take care of them so that your AC performs well and doesn’t allow airborne pollutants to aggravate your allergies.
We recommend scheduling professional maintenance at least once a year. Doing so twice a year, in spring and fall, is even better.
Install a New AC
Finally, you may simply have an old and inefficient AC, and it may be time for an update. On average, a central air conditioner will enjoy a useful service life of about 15 years. Though regular tune-ups, filter changes and a general attitude of care toward the system may do quite a bit to maximize or extend that lifespan, sooner or later, it will end.
When your AC is due for replacement, you may notice your utility bills rising and see odd behaviors like short cycling. Naturally, your system’s ability to maintain clean air in your home will also decline.
Even if issues with your old AC have not yet reached a terminal point, remember that HVAC technology improves constantly. Every year, air conditioners come out that are more powerful, more efficient and better able to filter the air than their predecessors were. If you have to deal with allergies, all this may be to your benefit.
If you’re unlucky enough to suffer from allergies, you know the value of any tool that can help you in your struggle against them. Your AC can be the greatest such tool in your home in Westminster, MD. For help bringing out its full potential in this area, call Griffith Energy Services, and request our IAQ services.
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