Tips to Use Your AC Unit to Alleviate Allergies

Whether it’s spring or winter, allergy is always a dreaded thing for every household. And during this year where we are all forced to stay indoors due to the pandemic, it seems allergy season will be more complex since it has some similar symptoms with the dreaded COVID-19 such as cough, the difficulty of breathing, fatigue, headache, sore throat, congestion, and runny nose. I think this is one of the reasons why people are trying their best to avoid getting allergy symptoms. Even before the pandemic, people would often wear masks to protect them allergens present in the air, but now that we’re staying more at home, how can we avoid such allergens from attacking us in the comfort of our own home?

Luckily there are tips from your professional technicians on how to remove those pesky allergens. Yes, your AC unit can help in avoiding those allergens inside your home. While many of us think that staying indoors keeps us away from those is actually untrue. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, many suffer from the symptoms brought about by indoor allergens- and they are the culprit when it comes to triggering one’s asthma. These include Carpet, Furniture upholstery, Per dander, Molds and mildew, Bedding, Dust mites, Indoor plants.

Here the tips to help you get started:

1. SIZING

In the previous blog, we mentioned that having the right size of an air conditioner is important- and it’s also important in keeping those allergens away. How? If the size of your unit is too large for a room it tends to cool the place faster and also shuts off quickly causing a rapid temperature change. This change in temperature can cause humidity and is very conducive for mold production in the air ducts and in your home. So try to choose the right size of the unit by asking your pros about it.

2. AIR DUCTS

One of the functions of your air ducts is to keep allergens like pollen, dust, and molds out of your air. But if you have dirty air ducts, then it’s time to clean them as well. When these allergens get into your ducts, it’ll be easier for them to be let out in the vents and into the air you breathe at home. How would you know if your ducts are dirty? It’s when your unit is causing a warm or humid atmosphere in the ducts and you start feeling some allergy symptoms as well. It’s also better if you ask a technician to clean for you since they do the job well and can check for other problems.

3. AIR FILTER REPLACEMENT

Air filters catch the allergens so they don’t mix with the conditioned air that you breathe in your home. However, if you have been neglectful in cleaning it and it becomes clogged, then it will be more difficult to clean it and best to have it replaced. But before you do, check if all the filters need replacing and invest in a higher quality filter to catch those allergens better.

4. CLEAN YOUR OUTDOOR AC UNIT

We often forget about the most exposed part of our AC unit but this time, you need to be more mindful about it. It’s exposed to every element present in the air all year and can also be a way for those allergens to get into the system. So, clean is once in a while. Turn off your unit and remove the protective grille from the unit and clear away any dirt, leaves, or anything you see. You can vacuum areas that are not cleaned enough. But make sure to be gentle around the condenser area, the metals, and spinning blades. You can hose the unit down carefully, and let it dry before turning the machine on again.

Aside from those tips mentioned above, you can also use an air purifier to clear the air of allergens. But we also highly suggest calling your technician here at VCS mechanical for a thorough check-up so you know that your unit is in good shape and can help you avoid those allergens.