If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you’re not alone; one in four adults in the United States is in the same boat. These chronic diseases also affect nearly 19% of children.
Most people with such allergies experience symptoms as seasonal changes in plants happen. For example, fall allergies occur when weeds pollinate, including ragweed, pigweed, and nettle. In Tennessee, these plants often release their pollen from August to September.
Molds are also common culprits behind autumn allergies. Worse, their spores can trigger allergies year-round.
The good news is that you can reduce allergen exposure by keeping your HVAC air ducts clean. We’ll explain how this home maintenance task can help, so read on.
Control Indoor Allergens
Your air ducts are conduits connected to your heating and air conditioning system. They circulate conditioned air throughout your home in White Bluff, TN.
If not properly maintained, your air ducts can become contaminated with particles. These include pollen, molds, dust, and other debris.
The air that flows through your air ducts can then pick up those allergens and contaminants. This can result in poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Breathing in air filled with unwanted particles can cause allergies to flare up.
Air duct cleaning can help by giving these conduits a deep clean. To achieve this, skilled HVAC technicians use the latest equipment and techniques.
For example, they use specialized tools to dislodge contaminant build-up in your ducts. They then use high-powered vacuum cleaners to extract the dislodged particles. They also sanitize the conduits to destroy harmful microorganisms lurking in the ducts.
Minimize the Risk of New Fall Allergies
When fall foliage starts to decay, it becomes a perfect breeding ground for molds. From there, the microorganisms release spores too tiny to see into the air.
Air filled with mold spores can enter your home through doors, windows, and vents. It can also get in via your HVAC system.
Mold allergies already affect an estimated 10% of the U.S. population. You may not be part of this group yet, but could be with continued mold exposure.
That’s another reason to have your air ducts cleaned by a professional. This way, you can get molds potentially growing and breeding in your ducts removed. That can minimize your exposure and risk of developing a mold allergy.
Reduce Allergens That Can Induce Asthma
People with allergies can also develop asthma, or their allergies can trigger asthma. Indeed, allergies are some of the most common asthma triggers. Likewise, exposure to airborne irritants, including dust, can trigger asthma.
If you already suffer from fall allergies, the last thing you want is to also deal with asthma. While easily treatable in most people, some have severe, debilitating asthma.
Don’t wait until you’re having trouble breathing before getting your HVAC ducts cleaned. Instead, schedule professional air duct and vent services as soon as possible.
Keep Dust Mites at Bay
Like spiders, dust mites are arthropods with eight legs. The key difference is they’re too small to see with the naked eye. They only reach lengths of 1/4 to 1/3 millimeters.
Dust mites don’t bite. Instead, they feed on dander (dead human and animal skin cells), a common material in dust.
Despite their tiny size, dust mites can be detrimental to your health. They’re among the most common causes of allergies during fall, even year-round.
Dust mites don’t typically live in air ducts but can still find their way there via air circulation. They can then feed on dander that has accumulated in these conduits. From there, the air flowing through the ducts can carry them back into your living space.
While you may not be able to eliminate all dust mites in your home, you can control their numbers. This includes regularly vacuuming your entire home, especially the bedroom, furniture, and carpets. Maintaining clean air ducts and HVAC filters, as well as using air purifiers, can also help.
Stay Comfy and Safe Indoors
The best way to reduce the risks of pollen or mold allergy attacks is to avoid exposure to these allergens. This often involves staying indoors, especially if there’s a high pollen or mold count.
However, staying inside may not help if the quality of the air indoors is just as bad or even worse than outdoors. As mentioned above, poor IAQ can result from improperly maintained HVAC ducts.
So, if you can’t remember the last time you’ve had your air ducts cleaned, now may be the best time to schedule one. The sooner you do, the sooner you can enjoy cleaner air with fewer allergens.
Remove Roach Droppings
There are at least five species of roaches known to invade Tennessee homes. These include the American, German, Oriental, Smokybrown, and Pennsylvania Wood cockroaches.
Any of those roach species can enter your air ducts through HVAC drain pipes or vent openings. They can do this during fall, as they like to stay warm and avoid the cold winter. It’s easy for these critters to invade your indoor space since their bodies are so flexible.
Once roaches have invaded your air ducts, they can leave piles of droppings. These include feces, saliva, and, in many cases, body parts.
Aside from being disgusting, roach droppings are also common allergens. They can trigger respiratory and skin allergies and asthma. Even worse, they’re sources of disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
If you have roaches in your White Bluff home, please call a reliable pest control company ASAP. Then, have your air ducts cleaned by a trustworthy HVAC professional.
Breathe Easier With Clean Air Ducts
Fall allergies can keep you from enjoying life or make you ill enough to miss school or work. Even more concerning is that your indoor air may not be as safe and helpful for your allergies as you think. Poor IAQ, which dirty air ducts can contribute to, could be as bad or even worse.
That’s enough reason to have a pro clean the air ducts in your White Bluff, TN home.
Ready to breathe easier? Tidwell & Sons HVAC is happy to help! Call us now to schedule your air duct cleaning service.
