How Your Furnace Impacts Indoor Air Quality and Allergies
Better Air Quality indoors can save you from a lot of grief. When allergy season arrives in Western New York, we often blame the trees, grasses, and pollen floating in the outside air. We close our windows and retreat indoors, thinking of our home as a safe haven. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that indoor air can often be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. For allergy sufferers, the true battleground is often inside the home, and the central player in this battle is your furnace and HVAC system.
Your heating and cooling system has a lot to do with better air quality and acts as the respiratory system of your home. It continuously pulls in air from every room, conditions it, and pushes it back out. In doing so, it circulates not just air, but also dust, pet dander, mold spores, pollen, and other microscopic irritants that can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms. Understanding this connection is the first step toward creating a healthier indoor environment. Excellent Air Heating & Cooling offers solutions that go beyond temperature control to actively purify the air you breathe.
The First Line of Defense: Your Furnace Filter
The single most important component for better air quality indoors, is your furnace filter. Its job is to capture airborne particles before they can be recirculated throughout your home or, worse, build up on sensitive HVAC components. However, not all filters are created equal, and neglecting them can make your air quality worse.
- Understanding MERV Ratings: Filters are rated on a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) scale, from 1 to 20. A higher MERV rating means the filter can capture smaller particles. A basic, cheap fiberglass filter (MERV 1-4) might only stop large dust particles, while a high-efficiency pleated filter (MERV 8-13) can capture pet dander, mold spores, and pollen.
- The Dangers of a Clogged Filter: When a filter becomes clogged with contaminants, it severely restricts airflow. This forces your furnace to work harder, driving up energy bills and causing unnecessary wear and tear. More importantly for allergy sufferers, the increased air pressure can force particle-laden air around the filter through gaps in the cabinet, re-introducing those allergens back into your home. A dirty filter becomes a source of pollution rather than a solution. Regular filter changes (every 1-3 months) are essential.
Beyond the Basic Filter: Advanced Air Purification
While a high-quality filter is a great start towards better air quality indoors. Sometimes it isn’t enough to combat severe allergies or persistent air quality issues. Excellent Air offers several whole-home solutions that integrate directly with your furnace to take air purification to the next level.
- Whole-Home Media Air Cleaners: These are a significant upgrade from standard one-inch filters. A media air cleaner is a cabinet containing a thick, deeply pleated filter, typically four to five inches thick. This massive surface area allows it to capture a very high percentage of microscopic particles without impeding airflow. They are highly effective at removing airborne allergens and only need to be replaced once or twice a year.
- UV Air Purifiers: Some of the most troublesome indoor pollutants are biological. Mold, bacteria, and viruses can thrive in the dark, damp environment of your indoor evaporator coil. A UV (ultraviolet) air purifier uses a special UV-C light, installed inside your ductwork, that scrambles the DNA of these microorganisms, destroying them and preventing them from multiplying and spreading through your home’s air. Just what you need for better air quality indoors.
- Whole-Home Humidifiers: The air in New York winters is notoriously dry. Overly dry air can irritate nasal passages, dry out your skin, and make you more susceptible to colds and infections. A whole-home humidifier works with your furnace to add the optimal amount of moisture to the air, maintaining a healthy and comfortable humidity level of 30-50% throughout your entire house. This can soothe irritated sinuses and reduce allergy symptoms.
The Importance of Clean Ductwork
Your air ducts are the arteries of your HVAC system, but over time they can accumulate dust, debris, and allergens. If your home has recently undergone renovations, you have pets, or you’ve never had your ducts inspected, they could be a hidden reservoir of irritants. A professional duct cleaning can remove this buildup, ensuring that the clean air from your furnace and purifier isn’t being contaminated on its way to your rooms.
Your home should be a place where you can escape from seasonal allergies, not a place where they are made worse. If you or your family members suffer from allergies or asthma, talk to the experts at Excellent Air Heating & Cooling. We can assess your home’s specific needs and recommend a tailored solution to help you breathe cleaner, healthier air.
