Severe Allergies Or Illness? 3 HVAC Upgrades For Your Health

If you or a loved one have severe allergies or a chronic illness, your HVAC system can be your ally or part of the problem. Modifications to your HVAC system can reduce allergens and immune system threats to prevent serious health complications. Read this article to learn more about improving your air. Read this article to learn more. 

Balance Humidity Levels

The humidity levels inside your home can have a significant impact on your ability to minimize airborne particles, such as dust, inside your home. Household humidification and dehumidification capabilities are essential to reducing indoor allergens, and are more effective than room-by-room appliances. By regulating the humidity throughout your home with a household humidification and dehumidification system, your HVAC system can prevent allergens from sticking to objects inside your home and reduce the chance that mold spores will grow.

With the appropriate humidity level inside your home, you are less likely to deal with dry, irritating air from using your heating system. Dry air can make allergies worse and further irritate your sinuses and throat, contributing to nosebleeds and a dry cough. If a member of your household has severe respiratory problems, the combination of reduced allergens and balanced humidity inside your home can prevent respiratory distress.

Invest In Electrostatic Filters

Most air filters commonly purchased at retail stores are made from fiberglass. Although they are helpful for trapping larger particles when changed regularly, they are not as effective at keeping small particles from being recirculated into the air. Electrostatic filters attract particles in the air by giving particles an electrostatic charge as they move through the filter. Other types of air filters work purely based on the size of particles, often allowing small particles to pass through. Electrostatic filters allow smaller-sized particles to remain stuck in the filter.

Electrostatic filters are available in disposable and reusable types, although your ability to use reusable filters may be limited due to the specific dimensions of your HVAC system's air intake. Reusable electrostatic filters must be cleaned regularly to remove accumulated visible and microscopic particles. Although reusable filters can last for several years with proper care, eventually the filter will lose its ability to trap particles and will need to be replaced.

The air filters you choose for your HVAC system are only a small component of reducing allergens and airborne infectious agents in your home. When possible, you should consider having a household air filtration system installed. A household air filtration system works in conjunction with your HVAC system to filter the air as it passes through the system and can help catch allergens and microorganisms missed by your air filter.

Take Advantage Of UV Light

You may think of ultraviolet (UV) light as the harmful, invisible spectrum of light that contributes to skin cancer. However, UV light can be integrated into your HVAC system to work at purifying the air inside your home. The effect of UV light takes air filtration a step further by killing microorganisms in the air as they pass through the ductwork inside your home. Since the UV light is hidden inside the ductwork, you have no risk of UV exposure.

Purifying the air in addition to filtration can be important if someone in your household has a weakened immune system and is highly susceptible to infection. Although an air purification system will not eliminate the possibility of airborne pathogen transmission if someone else in your household is sick, the risk of viruses circulating throughout the home can be reduced. Some air purification systems are known to emit a small amount of ozone during use. Although the risks are negligible, if someone in your household has respiratory problems, you should specifically choose an air purifier that does not emit any ozone.

Investing in upgrades to your current HVAC system can be invaluable if you suffer from severe allergies or an illness that increases your susceptibility to infections. Your HVAC system should work to make your household more hospitable, not only in temperature, but by improving air quality. For more information on the options available to improve your air quality, talk to a local air conditioner and furnace installation company.