In colder parts of the country, summer allergy season is blessedly short. But for many people who live here in sunny California, allergy season can seem to be year-long. Trees, weeds, grasses and flowering plants are always growing and pollinating. Add in the man-made pollution, and some folks can be tempted to stay indoors. But a home also can have a host of indoor allergens, from animal dander to dust.

If you’re an allergy sufferer in California, there may be little you can do about outdoor allergens, short of paving over your yard. But you can do something about indoor air quality. The most important step is keeping your home as dust-free as possible. Consider these solutions:

• Keep your home shut tight during times of particularly high pollen counts.
• Check the filter on your air conditioner frequently, and change it as soon as it looks dirty.
• If your air conditioner isn’t doing an adequate job of keeping your air dehumidified, get a dehumidifier — whole-house dehumidification is best. Mold and mildew, which are serious allergens, thrive in humid conditions. Dust mites also need high humidity to thrive.
• Dust and vacuum often.
• Wash your bedding at least once a week in hot water.

Other air-quality solutions to consider include upgrading your home comfort system.

• A whole-house air purifier with a HEPA filter can do a better job of ridding your indoor air of allergy triggers than the standard filter on your air conditioner. An air purifier can remove both large particles of dust and pollen and smaller particles of animal dander and mold. A whole-house air purifier with UV lights can kill airborne bacteria and viruses.
• If your respiratory issues are moderate to severe, consider a duct cleaning. Ductwork can harbor a great deal of dust, as well as debris that you don’t want to breathe. A cautionary note: This is a job that should be done only by an expert HVAC contractor with established roots in your community. Your ductwork is a crucial and delicate part of your cooling and heating system, and work on it shouldn’t be entrusted to just anyone who advertises a price that’s too good to believe, only to come in and scare you into a job that winds up costing thousands of dollars.

At All Year Heating, Air and Solar in Sacramento, we’re a family owned and operated company that has been in business since 1969. We’re happy to help you with any of your home comfort needs. Contact us with any questions.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.