Feeling Sick? It Could Be from Your Heater
Posted by Moore Home Services
HVAC Basics
Home is where you should feel protected from any dangers of threats. We understand winter is normally a time for cold and flus, but do you feel another sickness lurking? Are your eyes feeling dried out? Is your skin flaking from being too dry? Your heater could be to blame for these physical symptoms. Since staying home and staying healthy is more important than ever, we’re sharing how to stop your heater from making you sick.
Just a Few Potential Symptoms
Health starts at home. From the food you eat and the way you move your body, to the air you breathe in day after day; it all makes a difference. Far too often we see sick homeowners who haven’t had their furnace tuned-up in quite some time. Watch for these symptoms if you can’t remember the last time you scheduled a tune-up for your HVAC system.
Sneezing and Coughing
Unexplained Allergy Attacks
Headaches
Throat and Eye Problems
Don’t Neglect Your Air Ducts
Air ducts are an important, and often overlooked, part of most HVAC systems. The reason they’re so important is that any treated air in your home is delivered through trunnels of aluminum ducts. These ducts can be found in your attic, basement, and even the walls. However, just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean you can forget them. Similar to every other part of your HVAC system, ducts need maintenance too.
One thing we don’t mention a lot is that ducts can be fragile. With enough time small cracks and fissures can form in your ductwork. These cracks can let in a lot of airborne particles, including dust, dander, and other allergens. Air ducts are also a very comfortable home for mold. No matter how many times you tune-up your furnace and change your air filter, dirty ductwork can still make you sick. Lingering dust, dander, and mold can trigger asthma, allergies, or coughing fits.
Is Your Heater Making You Sick? Consider a Humidifier
Has your air been feeling a little dryer than normal? Part of that is because of winter. Cold air holds less moisture than warm air. When the temperature drops outside and, in your home, the cold air is sucking up every bit of moisture it can find.
The result of cold winter air is dry air. From seemingly endless coughing fits to dry itchy skin, it can all be a result of air that’s too dry. At Moore Home Services, our favorite solution to this is a humidifier. Homeowners have two primary humidifier options. The first can go directly into your HVAC system and regulate the moisture levels in your home. The second option is a plug-in humidifier that adds moisture to a smaller space. If you don’t know where to turn, one of our HVAC experts can help you find the solution that fits your needs.
Don’t Forget to Open the Windows
When the temperature drops and we’re laser focused on creating a cozy environment it’s easy to forget about fresh air. We know the idea of opening a window on a frigid day seems downright crazy but hear us out. Fresh air is an essential part of the health and safety of your indoor air.
All heat treated air is recycled air. The air in your home can only be recycled so many times before it becomes stale. When we say stale, we mean there is not enough fresh oxygen in the air. Stale air can not only smell bad, but it can also make you sick. By opening a window and letting some fresh air in, you’re allowing healthy oxygen to come in and stale air to get out.
Think About Switching to HEPA Filters
The best way to guarantee the safety of your indoor air is to make the switch to HEPA air filters. These filters are so strong they’re the ones preferred by hospitals. HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air and is a mechanical filter that can usually remove up to 99.9% of indoor air contaminates depending on the strength of the filter.
Is Your Heater Making You Sick? Call the Experts a Moore Home Services
If you think your heater is the cause of any sickness in your home, don’t hesitate to call the HVAC experts at Moore Home Services. We are a Diamond Certified plumbing and HVAC company serving Northern California. Schedule an appointment today if you live in our service areas of Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, or Marin County. Either call the number at the top of the screen or click here to book online.
