How Pollen Gets Into Your House and How Your HVAC Can Help

According to the EPA, indoor contaminants can be as much as five times greater than typical outdoor concentrations. That’s a big deal when the average person spends as much as 90 percent of their time indoors. 

Contaminants can include a variety of things including pollen. While you may notice it in greater quantities walking through your local park, don’t ignore the fact that a lot of it may be inside your home. How does pollen get into your house? 

Open windows – when the temperatures start rising in the spring, it’s only natural to want to air out your house. It feels good and smells wonderful to throw open the windows and let fresh air inside. Yet this is one of the easiest ways to allow pollen into your home. Pay attention to the pollen counts; they are released daily just like the weather. Keep your windows closed on the highest days. 

Pets – your dog goes in and out several times a day. Whether they walk around the yard or layout in the sun for a while, their fur picks up pollen along the way. Pollen is designed to attach easily and move freely from one spot to another. That means your pet can pick up a lot of pollen outside, bring it in, shake and release it into your air supply. 

Personal belongings – you don’t have to go for a long walk to pick up a large amount of pollen on your clothes and in your hair. Even a short walk from the car to the house can release a cloud of allergens. The easiest way to minimize this is to brush off your coat before stepping inside, and leaving coats and shoes near the front door. 

Poor insulation – when was the last time you had your home evaluated for insulation? If not properly insulated, pollen could be flowing in freely from the basement or crawlspace to the attic. Gaps not only allow in heat or cold air, but contaminants like pollen can seep in as well. Like other things in your home, insulation is only designed to last for so long before it needs replacing too. 

HVAC – did you know your HVAC system is designed to help control pollen inside your home? If you’ve been having above normal reactions with allergens, it might be a problem with your HVAC system. Start by replacing your air filter – it’s the first line of defense. Old equipment can also be inefficient at circulating indoor air for proper maintenance. 

If you have a rise in allergy symptoms or more dust inside your home than usual, we can fully evaluate your system, and help you increase the filtration process. Give us a call today.