Have you been sneezing more often than usual or having irritation in your eyes, nose, and throat? Have you noticed more dust around your home?
If you answered “yes,” chances are you’ve been uncomfortable in your home for a while and want to know why your allergies are getting worse.
The truth is our HVAC systems play a large role in keeping dust and allergens low in the home and could be directly contributing to your worsened allergies.
However, several factors could be making your allergies worse besides your HVAC unit, like weather changes, pollen, and pet dander.
If you feel you’ve tried everything to improve your allergens to no avail, you want to know if your HVAC unit is the culprit.
As a trusted San Antonio HVAC company since 1979, Wright Home Services has helped hundreds of homeowners keep their homes cool and comfortable through the decades.
From simple repairs to full system replacements, we’re here to be your expert guide for all you need to know regarding your HVAC problems and answer any questions you have before you reach out to a company for service.
So, if your allergies have worsened over time and you can’t seem to find a solution, you want to know if your HVAC is the one to blame and what you can do about it.
This article will outline the common signs your HVAC system is making your allergies worse and some of the best fixes and additions you can make to improve the air quality in your home and reduce your allergens.
After reading, you will know whether your HVAC is to blame for your allergies and how to fix it.
4 Signs Your HVAC System Is Making Your Allergies Worse
When your allergies start acting up, it’s hard to ignore. Your eyes are itching, you sneeze at the sight of a dust bunny, or you can’t stop blowing your nose. Untamed allergies can be a real hindrance to our day-to-day lives as well as our health.
If your allergies have been out of control lately and you suspect your HVAC may be the main cause, you want to investigate more and learn how you can improve the air quality in your home.
Let’s look at four common signs your HVAC unit is making your allergies worse and why each of these symptoms affects your health.
1. Increased Dust In The Home
One of the first and most noticeable signs your HVAC system could be making your allergies worse is if you have noticed an increased amount of dust in your home (more than usual).
Dust in the home can be made up of many microscopic materials, including skin, pollen, microplastics, and dirt.
Your HVAC unit acts as a filter for the air circulating in your home. When the unit receives air, it is meant to purify it and heat or cool it before returning to your home.
If the unit is not filtering your home’s air as well as it should, this will result in dust and allergens continuously circulating through your home, allowing the dust to build up around your home.
How do you know if this is contributing to your allergies? Check the surfaces where dust commonly congregates, like fan blades, air vents, and lamp shades.
If you have noticed dust accumulating around your home more frequently than usual, this may indicate your HVAC unit isn’t filtering your air as well as it should.
2. Allergies Worsen When Your System Turns On
Another common yet hidden sign your HVAC system is worsening your allergies is if you become increasingly uncomfortable or notice your allergies get worse when your AC kicks on, this could mean your HVAC unit is the one to blame.
As we explored in the point above, your HVAC system circulates, filters, and heats or cools the existing air in your home. If excess dust is looming around your home, it will then circulate once your system is running.
What does this mean? Increased dust in your home continuously circulating on a regular schedule results in noticeable discomfort once your system turns on.
This is because any built-up dust, debris, and microbial growth will then start dispersing into your home, causing your allergies to flare up.
If you notice increased sneezing, itchy eyes, or runny nose when your HVAC unit turns on, this may be a sign that it is directly affecting your allergies and you should have a professional inspect unit and ductwork.
3. Air Vents With Microbial Growth
Inspecting your home’s air vents is another way to identify if your HVAC system is directly affecting your allergies.
If you look at each air vent in your home and notice dark spots that look like dirt, this could directly cause your worsened allergies.
Microbial growth happens when condensation builds up around the evaporator coils within the main unit. When excess moisture is trapped in a cold, dark place, it allows for unwanted microbial growth.
If microbial growth goes unaddressed, it will continue to grow and disperse throughout your home when your HVAC system turns on. This growth decreases your indoor air quality and greatly affects your allergies.
You can easily test your air vents and unit for microbial growth with test swab kits available on Amazon. These tests allow you to swab your vents, place the swab in a solution, and receive corresponding results.
If there is excess microbial growth on your air vents and HVAC unit, there are several ways to correct it, which we will explore later in this article.
4. Loud HVAC Unit
One of the final signs to identify that may mean your HVAC system is worsening your allergies is if you’ve noticed your HVAC unit is excessively loud when running.
A loud HVAC system means your unit works twice as hard to produce the same output. It could be dying of old age, have a broken part, or there could be dust and debris buildup in your ductwork.
Dust and debris in your ducts create a blockage for air to pass into your home. This puts strain on your system, causing it to work harder and louder.
If you’ve noticed your HVAC unit is noticeably louder when your heating or air conditioning comes on, checking your air filters and ducts for dust buildup may answer your question of whether your HVAC system is to blame for bad allergies.
How To Improve Allergies Through Your HVAC Unit
After learning about the most common signs your HVAC unit is making your allergies worse, you want to know, “How can I improve it?”
The best ways to improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) of your home and help reduce allergens are preventative improvements.
Here are four ways you can improve your HVAC unit to help reduce allergens in your home.
1. Replace Air Filters Regularly
One of the easiest ways to ensure your HVAC unit is filtering your air is by regularly checking and replacing the filters in your receivers.
The receivers are where the air in your home is sucked into the HVAC system, and the filters act as a barrier to block as much dust and debris from getting recirculated into your home.
If you can’t remember the last time you replaced the air filters in your home, chances are it’s time to replace them. 1” filters should be replaced every month while media filters should be replaced every 3-6 months depending on the size of your home and number of occupants.
If you want to improve the quality of air in your home and reduce dust and allergens greatly, Wright Home Services recommends using media filters in place of standard 1” filters. This is because media filters create a tighter seal in your receiver and don’t allow dust and dirt to sneak past it like 1” filters would.
Maintaining the cleanliness of your air filters will ensure your unit is filtering the air in your home properly and help reduce allergens in your home.
2. Install a 24-Hour UV light
One investment that will drastically improve the IAQ of your home is a UV stick light.
These lights are installed inside the interior portion of your HVAC system to turn that cold, damp box into a brightly lit space.
This 24-hour light helps to reduce condensation and excess moisture within the system, which, in turn, decreases microbial growth. This will help keep your system cleaner and noticeably reduce allergens in your home.
3. Invest in a Reme HaloⓇ or SolarisⓇ Filtration System
Two other technological advancements that help purify your air and reduce allergens are a Reme HaloⓇ and SolarisⓇ.
The Reme HaloⓇ is also a UV light installed near the base of the ductwork in your unit. However, it is more than just a UV light. It also acts as an air purifier.
While the light helps to eliminate excess moisture, condensation, and microbial growth, the Reme HaloⓇ also produces hydrogen peroxide to filter and clean the air that moves through your unit.
Similarly, a SolarisⓇ filtration system utilizes multiple UV lights and heavy-duty filters to minimize and eliminate microbial growth, reduce dirt and dust in the air, and provide cleaner, healthier air.
SolarisⓇ filtration systems also have an air ionizer component, which forces micro-particulates to group together, making it easier to catch them in the filter.
Overall, installing a Reme HaloⓇ or SolarisⓇ filtration system in your HVAC system will improve the IAQ of your home, eliminate the risk of microbial growth, and help reduce your allergens.
4. Purchase an air purifier
One simple addition you can make to your home (not your HVAC system) is purchasing an air purifier. Air purifying machines come in a variety of sizes and price ranges suitable for any space.
If you live in an apartment, a smaller, more portable air purifier may be ideal for you, or you may want several small air purifiers to place throughout your home.
You can also invest in a larger, more expensive air purifier for your entire home, although investing in a UV stick light or Reme HaloⓇ purifier may be more worth it.
Improving Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality And Reducing Allergens
Now that you have an understanding of how your HVAC could be contributing to your allergies and some of the best ways to improve the IAQ of your home, you can properly identify what is making your allergies worse and fix it.
If you’ve noticed your eyes becoming increasingly irritated and itchy, you start to sneeze once your HVAC system turns on, or there is more dust accumulating in your home, this could mean your HVAC unit isn’t filtering your air as well as it should.
To better improve your home’s IAQ and lower dust and allergens in your home, you should
- Change air filters every three months
- Invest in a 24-hour UV light for your system
- Install a Reme HaloⓇ glow stick and purifier
- Add air purifiers around your home
- Regularly dust and vacuum
Each of these tips ranges from a simple monthly check-up on your system to installing new technology to purify your air better. Staying on top of vacuuming and dusting, especially if you have furry family members, will also help to reduce allergens and reveal if you need a more serious solution.
Interested in improving your home’s IAQ and reducing allergens? Wright Home Services is here to help.
We offer SolarisⓇ filtration systems and UV lights to keep your HVAC unit dry and reduce microbial growth, which directly affects your allergies. However, our goal is to educate you on all you need to know to improve your HVAC system and keep your home comfortable.
If you want to learn more about energy-efficient options to improve the air quality of your home and your allergies, schedule a service with Wright AC and have an experienced technician inspect your unit and provide you with the proper solution.
