Spring is on the horizon, which is good news for anyone looking forward to warmer weather. However, it can be a nightmare for anyone who suffers from pollen allergies. Keeping your windows and doors closed obviously helps to reduce indoor pollen, but there’s no way you can ever totally keep pollen out of your house in Pensacola, FL. Some of it inevitably gets in every time you need to open the door, and everyone brings additional pollen in from outside on their clothing and shoes. The good news is that you can use your HVAC system to help tackle pollen in your house to ensure you can breathe more easily throughout Florida’s spring allergy season.
Using Your HVAC System to Filter Pollen Out of the Air
As your HVAC system runs, it constantly pulls air in through the return ductwork and blows air back out through the supply ductwork. The incoming air gets drawn through the air filter, which traps pollen and other allergens. This helps to quickly reduce the concentration of allergens within the house and ensures that the system doesn’t just blow pollen around.
The only problem in the spring is that there are likely to be many times when your house won’t be hot enough for air conditioning and not cold enough to turn the heating on. If your HVAC system doesn’t run, the air inside your house won’t flow through the filter. The solution to this issue is to switch the fan setting on your thermostat from Auto to On. This allows the HVAC blower to run without AC or heating so that the indoor is still filtered to reduce the amount of pollen in the house.
You don’t need to have the blower constantly running, as it would use quite a bit of electricity if it ran 24 hours a day. Running the fan for 15 minutes or so every hour or two is usually sufficient to keep indoor pollen down. If you start noticing your allergy symptoms are much worse, you may want to run the blower for 45 minutes to an hour to effectively filter all the air in the house.
Which HVAC Air Filter Is Best for Pollen and Allergies?
Not all HVAC air filters are the same in terms of how effectively they filter out pollen and other allergens. The minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating scale sets the standard for air filters’ efficiency. A few manufacturers have their own rating systems, but the packaging on the filter will usually give the MERV equivalent.
MERV ratings judge the percentage of different-sized particles a filter traps. Filters with higher MERV ratings trap a much higher percentage of smaller particles that would just pass straight through less efficient filters. Most standard residential HVAC air filters start out at MERV 5/6 and go up to MERV 12/13.
A MERV 5 or 6 filter only keeps dust out of the HVAC system and isn’t efficient enough to trap pollen and other smaller particles. If you have allergies to pollen or anything else, you need at least a MERV 10 filter during allergy season. You may not be able to go up to MERV 12 or 13, as not all residential HVAC systems are powerful enough to handle that efficient of a filter. If you use a filter that’s more efficient than your system can handle, it will restrict the incoming airflow to the point that the system can’t perform nearly as well and will use much more energy.
If anyone in your home suffers from severe allergies, the better solution is to upgrade your HVAC system with either a media filter or a whole-home HEPA filter. Media filters are much thicker versions of standard air filters that contain many times more pleated filter material. This allows them to achieve ratings up to MERV 15 without any noticeable restriction in airflow or reduction in the HVAC system’s performance.
HEPA filters have ratings from MERV 16 to 20 and offer the highest level of filtration available. This type of filter is capable of trapping over 99% of airborne particles down to 0.3 microns in size. Not only will a HEPA filter greatly reduce the full range of indoor allergens, but it will also filter out germs, smoke, smog, and chemicals.
Since 2005, Avalon Air Heating & Cooling has been helping homeowners with all their HVAC needs. From AC tune-ups and air filtration upgrades to AC refrigerant recharging, we have the solutions to keep your home comfortable and your family healthy and happy.
For more information or to schedule service in the Pensacola area, contact our team at Avalon Air Heating & Cooling today.
