Can Dirty Heating Coils in Your Furnace Cause Allergies to Flare Up?

If you or anyone in your family has allergies, you may be wondering whether a dirty furnace can aggravate allergy symptoms. The simple answer is “yes”—dirt and debris trapped inside your HVAC system can exacerbate allergy symptoms, causing more sniffling and sneezing even long after the pollen of the spring and summer has gone away for the season.

You’re actually more likely to experience these issues right at the beginning of a heating season. Over the course of the spring and summer, dust will start to form on your furnace, particularly on the heating coils. Then, the first time you turn your furnace on for the season, that dust will be heated up and then forced through your ductwork and vents. That means you get a whole summer’s worth of accumulated debris coming through your vents the first time you fire up your furnace in October or November.

If you find yourself having allergy problems around that time of year each year, your furnace is most likely to blame. The best way to resolve this issue is to have your HVAC system cleaned before you use it for the first time in the season.

How to clean a dusty furnace in Fair Oaks, CA

So, what steps can you take to make sure your HVAC system has been properly cleaned so you can avoid issues with allergies and worsened respiratory conditions?

First and foremost, check your filters. There’s likely to be a lot of debris built up in your filters—they’ll remove most of the particulate matter that would otherwise flow through your system. The changing of the seasons is a good time to swap out the filters to both improve the energy efficiency of your furnace and ensure cleaner operation.

If you’re sick of having to swap out your filters every few months, you can install permanent HEPA filters, which remove more than 90 percent of the particles that would flow through the system, an efficiency that is much greater than you’d get from standard disposable filters. You still need to remember to clean those filters, but you’ll save money over time by not having to purchase new ones and will experience better results in terms of your clean air and energy efficiency.

Debris in the air can also become a more severe issue if the air is too dry. You should aim to keep the humidity in your home between 35 and 50 percent. Here in California, dry air is a much more common problem than it is in other parts of the country that get more humidity. Running a humidifier in your home can help you avoid overly dry air.

Finally, you should hire a professional to come in and clean your ductwork. This will be especially helpful if you have any reason to believe there is mold or mildew lingering in your system, or if you have pets whose dander can easily get into your ventilation system.

For more information about how to clean a dusty furnace in Fair Oaks, CA, reach out to Cassel Air Conditioning and Heating Service today.

Categorised in: Furnace Repair

This post was written by Writer