While out for a walk in my neighborhood last night trying to get some fresh air what I was really doing was wishing I didn’t have such severe allergies.
Whether you have hay fever, seasonal allergies, or are allergic to everything under the sun like me, this time of year it seems everyone is miserable. Rainy one day, sunny the next. It makes everything explode with blooms. Even those who “never had allergies before moving to the Sacramento Valley” seem to get to experience the sort of initiation that is the misery of spring.
Now we can’t do much about the air quality outside, but we sure can make the air inside our homes as comfortable as possible. Especially in times like these when we are spending so much time at home.
If you have a central heating and air conditioning system, the first thing I would recommend would be a better air filter. There are some new filters on the market made by Honeywell that are designed to fit into an existing
return air grill and will work for the most common applications. No other equipment is necessary, and the filters are only changed every six months. The are about 4″ thick of a pleated media that can catch more dust and dirt than the average 1″ filter most homes use. The replacement costs are generally about the same as what you would spend in a year on typical 1″ filters from the home improvement store.
Another option is an air cleaner that attaches in line to your central heating and cooling system. It is the highest quality way to clean the air in your home. The Aprilaire system is the one we recommend the most and is the system I have in my own home. The filters are 8″ thick and can catc
h 95% of irritants down to .3 microns. They have a few filters to choose from that all fit into one standard air cleaner which is great because different people may have different needs at different times of the year or lifespan. They even have a carbon version that can help eliminate odors in addition to particles in the air. And depending on usage and need, most of the filters are only replaced once per year. Talk about low maintenance!
You may be wondering though, “I don’t run my air or my heat in the spring or fall when my allergies are at their worst!” But did you know, if you turn your thermostat fan to the “on” position, you can filter the air throughout the house without running the heat or the air? And on newer systems the blowers run on super low speeds which means the air moves even slower across the filters. Slower air equals more time for pollen and other particulates to be captured by the filter.
Another sad reality for thinking about upgrading your air filtration in your home here in the Sacramento valley is wildfires. We get calls all the time during fire season about air filtration. It is wise for those with sensitivities to outdoor air conditions to look into higher quality air filtrating in the home.
For a little up front cost now, you could be saving money on Kleenex in the future, not to mention quality of life. And the Aprilaire filter replacements typically cost about the same as the standard filters do over the course of a year.
As always, feel free to give us a call at the office at 916-481-0658 if you have any additional questions or concerns about your filter. At Perfection Home Systems we’re here to help!
Now please excuse me while I try and avoid rubbing my eyes and nose at the thought of mowing my lawn this afternoon…