Indoor Air Quality
IAQ in Kansas City, MO

While springtime in Kansas City, MO can be beautiful, this is also a time of year that brings a lot of pollen and allergens to the area. Even if you have a tight home envelope, these contaminants can make their way into your residence through holes, cracks, and gaps. If you’re prone to allergies, you may experience sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, and even hives when pollen levels are high. Add to that the other particulate matter that may be in your home, and you’re likely feeling miserable. There are ways that you can improve your indoor air quality during allergy season to help your symptoms become more manageable.

Keep Doors and Windows Closed

There is a certain amount of air exchange that you should promote between the inside of your home and the outdoors. However, you should be careful of the time of day when this is occurring, especially if it’s allergy season. Pollen levels tend to be highest in the middle of the day and early evening. If you’re going to open your windows or doors during allergy season, do so very early in the morning or late at night. People who suffer from severe allergies should keep their home closed on very high pollen days. You can run your HVAC system to promote a comfortable indoor environment.

Change Your Filters Often

The filter that’s in your HVAC equipment usually has a life expectancy of around 30 to 90 days. This time frame may be a lot shorter during allergy season. We recommend checking your filter every few weeks to see if it shows signs of particle accumulation. If you see large clumps of debris or light is not easily passing through your filter, it’s time to replace it. If you have whole-house air filtration equipment, there are filters in these units that should also be replaced. Don’t forget about filters in whole-house dehumidifiers or humidifiers as well.

Consider Filter Type

Allergy season might be a time of year when you should upgrade the type of filter that you’re using. Pay attention to the minimum-efficiency reporting value (MERV) that is advertised on a filter. High MERV-rated filters trap more particles than lower-rated filters. Residential homes benefit from a filter that is rated between MERV 8 and 12. While filters can have a rating above 12, this is likely too restrictive for your specific heating and cooling setup. Anything under a MERV of eight isn’t going to adequately trap most of the particulate matter that’s in your indoor air.

The great thing about whole-house filtration equipment is that it can usually handle more airflow restrictions than your HVAC equipment. This means you can use a better filter to remove particulates. When you combine whole-house filtration with your HVAC filter, there is the potential to remove as much as 99.97% of particulate matter from your indoor air. High-efficiency particulate air filters, or HEPA filters for short, are extremely effective at removing pollen, pet dander, dust, mold, and germs from your indoor air.

Additional Indoor Air Quality Equipment

We’ve talked about whole-house filtration, but there are other types of equipment that you can have installed in your home that will improve your indoor air quality during allergy season and throughout the rest of the year. For example, controlling relative humidity with whole-house dehumidification and humidification can be beneficial. Very humid air can hold onto large particulate matter, allowing it to circulate through your home. Very dry air can irritate your sinuses and airways, leading to an increase in allergy symptoms. You should keep the relative humidity level in your home between 30% and 60% regardless of the time of year.

UV light air purification systems are a method of removing microorganisms from your indoor air. For allergy sufferers, a large prevalence of mold spores in the air can be dangerous. Mold is common in the springtime when heavy rains and snow melting create a very damp outdoor environment. These spores can come into your home, causing shortness of breath, headaches, fatigue, and more. By running your HVAC system and allowing air to pass through UV-C light, the process will render mold and other microbes harmless. This isn’t a traditional form of filtration, so nothing is being trapped. Rather, UV-C light will damage the cellular structure of these contaminants. This technology is also a great way to sanitize your indoor air so you and your family don’t pass around as many illnesses. UV-C light can damage viruses and bacteria.

Shower Upon Coming Inside

If you spend time outside during allergy season, make sure that you shower and change your clothes when you come in for the evening. A substantial amount of pollen can end up on your clothing and in your hair when you’re outdoors. If you go to bed with all this pollen on you, it can make you feel unwell. It can also irritate your eyes and skin. The pollen can become airborne and circulate through your indoor air through your HVAC system. Avoid wearing your shoes in the house to prevent the spread of pollen in your residence.

Schedule a Duct Cleaning

Prior to the start of spring allergy season in Kansas City, consider having a professional inspect your ductwork and perform a duct cleaning. Particulate matter can accumulate on the inside of your ductwork over time, leading to decreased indoor air quality. These particulates can also damage your heating and cooling equipment, leading to expensive repairs. We recommend that a professional duct cleaning be performed approximately once every three to five years. We can also seal your ductwork, which can prevent allergens and contaminants from entering it through gaps, holes, and cracks.

Schedule Routine HVAC Maintenance

You should schedule a routine inspection and tune-up of your heating equipment and cooling systems at least once per year. We recommend that you schedule this appointment prior to the start of allergy season. We will see to it that every part of your system is working properly, ensuring you can rely on your heating and cooling equipment. If we find any issues during this process, we can perform repairs before a major problem occurs that could shut down your equipment completely.

It’s important to note that particulate matter can accumulate on the interior components of your HVAC system. This can lead to system strain, wear and tear, and a shorter equipment life span. Over time, the problem can become expensive to address. This can also impact your indoor air quality as your heating and cooling equipment is unable to effectively and efficiently condition your indoor air and remove particulate matter.

MVP Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing & Electric can help you improve your indoor air quality during allergy season in Kansas City. In addition to the installation of whole-house air filtration equipment, we perform routine maintenance on your heating and cooling systems. We can also handle emergency repairs and install new equipment. Contact us at MVP Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing & Electric today to schedule an appointment.

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