San Diego Pollen Allergy Tips You NEED This Spring!

Spring should be a welcome sign after a long winter, but more often than not if you’re an allergy sufferer, it can be a miserable time of year. Depending on your sensitivity to certain pollens and other air pollutants, and the area where you live, spring could very well drive you to seek solace indoors even as the weather warms and people and pets rush outside to enjoy it.

For many people with allergies, being indoors only offers mild relief but there are several HVAC strategies and pollen allergy tips you can use to make your home as allergy free as possible

A dirty or clogged filter can’t filter any of the pollen that causes some of the seasons most irritating allergies. The general rule of thumb is to change your HVAC filters every 3 months. You can also take a look at your filter and if it looks like it’s dusty and discolored, that’s a good sign it’s time to replace it. This not only ensures your system is working as efficiently as possible; it also helps your system filter and trap symptom-causing allergens like pollen.

HVAC air filters come in a variety of ratings according to their Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, or MERV. MERV ratings are based on a 1-16 scale that measures a filter’s ability to capture particles between .3 and 10 microns. The larger the MERV rating, the better it is at trapping particles. In order to trap the pollen particulates responsible for seasonal allergies, you want a MERV rating of 10 or higher.

A HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) is helpful for reducing pollen allergies, but you still want to make sure the MERV rating is 10 or higher for the most effective results.

Filters are an important part of keeping your home free of pollen, but if you don’t have clean, seamless ductwork, the best filter in the world won’t help all that much. Which stands to reason — if you have debris or dust recirculating in your system, it will eventually overwhelm the filter. And similarly, if you have damaged vents, ducts, or flashing, pollen-filled air can make its way into your home much more easily.

Have your HVAC professional come out and perform system maintenance to make sure your vents and ducting are all clean and operating as they should be so you can enjoy better indoor air quality and more efficient HVAC operations.

In addition to keeping your filters and HVAC in top condition, doing a few simple things at home when the pollen count is particularly high can help keep pollen allergens out of your indoor air as much as possible:

For more ways to keep your home as pollen-proof as possible, and to keep your HVAC running smoothly schedule online today or call our (619) 762-3044.