Living in New England means looking forward to fall. If you cannot enjoy the vibrant colors and crisp air of the season—what are you even doing here? Of course, there are some issues that come along with fall. And no, we’re not just talking about the fact that it means another winter is just around the corner. We’re talking about indoor air quality.
A lot of people associate allergies and their symptoms with the bloom of spring. That’s understandable. There is a lot going on in that regard at that time. But the shift from summer into spring brings a lot of allergens with it, too. Chief among these is ragweed. So read on to learn more about protecting your indoor air quality in Southern Vermont.
Change the Air Filter
This one confuses some homeowners, so we want to address it right away. You should be changing the air filter in your HVAC system regularly, but not really to improve the quality of the air in your home. It’s actually to protect your HVAC system itself. With more allergens like ragweed in the air, dust and dirt being kicked up and brought in the house from falling leaves, etc., it’s definitely possible for your air filter to get dirty more rapidly.
The issue isn’t so much that your air filter won’t be able to boost air quality throughout your home, but that it won’t be able to protect your HVAC equipment itself as well as normal. That’s a big problem, since dirty filters can affect everything from efficiency to performance quality and even system reliability! So be sure to keep that filter fresh!
Install a Whole-House Air Filtration System
Wait, what? We just said that your air filter isn’t going to protect your indoor air quality, right? Well, sort of. The standard little filter in your HVAC system won’t do that. However, that’s where a whole-house air filtration system comes ins.
These systems integrate with HVAC systems, and they are efficient enough to actually remove particulates like airborne allergens and clean up the air in your home. That will help you to breathe easier while limiting allergy symptoms in your home.
Consider a More Active Air Cleaning Option
A passive air filtration system is definitely a great investment, but remember that these systems do have their limits. If you are especially sensitive to allergy symptoms caused by airborne pollutants, then opting for a more active system like an electronic air cleaner is definitely worth considering. An ionizing air purifier, for example, gives an electric charge to pollutants, which are then trapped on oppositely charged materials in the system.
And, if you really want to take things further with an eye toward winter, a UV germicidal light system is a great option. Now, this isn’t going to eliminate pollutants like ragweed that we discussed earlier. What a UV setup can do is kill microbial pollutants, like bacteria and viruses, by using UV light. Don’t let the dry winter season put your health at risk at home!
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