How Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Allergies

August 03, 2017

While many people correlate allergy symptoms with pollen, pollution and other irritants out of your home, your interior air quality can have a big impact on your symptoms. According to the EPA, “In the last few years, a growing body of scientific evidence has specified that the air within homes and other buildings can be more dangerously polluted than the external air in even the greatest and most industrialized cities. Other research shows that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time inside. Therefore, for a lot of people, the dangers to health may be larger due to more exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors.”

Our Newton homes are polluted by outdoor allergens like pollen that force their way inside, and by irritants like pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, chemicals from everyday household cleansers 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 ally or your nemesis when it comes to managing your allergies. A dirty system can collect and circulate allergens all over your home, so the answer is to keep your system well maintained. Primarily, you need to keep your air filters clean. Establish a reminder or mark it on your calendar to check them monthly and exchange them out when you see that they’re fairly dirty. They’ll normally need to be changed every two or three months, but this can fluctuate considerably from home to home. You can find filters that span from the most basic level of filtering to hospital-grade HEPA filters. The experts at Brookwood Inc can help you decide which kind of filter will keep your home nourishing and keep your HVAC running efficiently.

It’s also vital to have your system routinely maintained by a pro to keep your inside air quality where it should be. As well as checking that essential filter, your service specialist will clean the internal workings of your system and ensure that everything is operating as it should. You can also ask your technician if a duct cleaning would be needed.

When it comes to your internal air quality, you can put your faith in the experts at Brookwood Inc to take good care of you. Besides helping you keep your HVAC system maintained, we can help you know that you have the tools you need to combat poor indoor air quality and allergens—like humidifiers and whole home air purifiers. Just give us a call at 641-316-9803 to certify that your home’s air is healthy and clean.