Spring and Summer Allergies AAAAAAAcccccchhhhhooooooooo

Springtime is such a awakening season.  Further it's a time to start contemplating about vacation plans and time to enjoy the outdoors as the flowers bloom and many of the animals are pairing up and having babies.  All these sounds and aromas that bring harmony to our ears and noses.  It does not go without problems however.  Allergies are synonymous with Spring and Summer.

If  you are one blessed enough to not have allergy problems, you can be thankful for this absolution.  On the other hand, the majority of us fellow humans or as  Web MD states, 55% of Americans test positive for one or more allergies.  That accounts for a lot of sneezes! This same report states that we spend 90% of our time indoors. 

For outdoor allergies, there are many different choices for relief.  Those that are living a lifestyle of healthy choices may decide on natural remedies like local honey, acupuncture or a neti pot to help alleviate the symptoms.  For those that use conventional medicines, the side effects are sometimes worse than the cure. 

Indoor allergy sufferers is a whole different ball game.  Due to our AC systems being a closed system (meaning they reuse the air over and over), if steps are not taken to remove the allergens they will continue to wreck havoc on us and we will have little or no relief while we are indoors. 

We being an Air Conditioning Contractor, are in the business of making you comfortable.  A Large degree of our business is determining what is best for you and your specific needs as far as air quality and comfort for your home.  There are some great options for helping almost eliminate the culprit and there are some not so good alternatives that may just waste your money and not do a whole lot of anything.  How can we determine what is best for us?

The number one thing that you and we can do for you is to use a filter that is helpful for allergy removal and then change it often (monthly at the minimum) filters are rated using what they call a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value).  The range of filters are 1-16 with the higher numbers being able to catch smaller particles and is considered more efficient.  However we want you to also understand that your system has to work harder the higher the MERV rating so make sure you balance the two so don't lose out on the overall efficiency of the Air Conditioner.

The second thing is to have a regularly scheduled Tune up of the system at least yearly but especially prior to the summer season.  During this time you want to make sure it includes the following tasks:  Cleaning and inspecting coils, cleaning or replacing filters, adjusting and replacing fan belts, lubricating motors and bearings, cleaning and checking blowers and fans, inspecting controls and safeties, checking refrigerant and pressures, and verifying operating temperatures. At this time you can ask your technician for alternatives for the allergies.  If it's a UV light or a system that disinfects the air as it leaves the ac unit, you can greatly reduce your allergies. 

We hope this has helped you with some tips on helping with summer allergies.  For more information go to our website at www.acbreeze.net

Regards,
Tammy Rodriguez