How to Stop Pollen From Getting Into Your Home
For many homeowners, the presence of pollen in their homes isn’t limited to only the spring or fall; it's a year-round battle against allergies and poor indoor air quality. Pollen, an allergen produced by trees, grasses, and weeds for fertilization purposes, can easily find its way into our homes, causing seasonal allergies and exacerbating respiratory issues. When pollen particles enter our indoor environments, they can recirculate through central ductwork systems, giving them multiple opportunities to impact the health of those in your home. This makes it crucial for homeowners to find effective ways to not just remove pollen from their homes, but also prevent it from entering in the first place.
Can Air Filters Help With Pollen?
Many homeowners might think of air filtration systems as the go-to solution for removing pollen from their indoor air. These systems work by trapping pollen and other allergens in filters as air circulates through a home's HVAC system, providing relief from allergy symptoms. Indeed, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and other advanced air purification technologies can reduce the amount of pollen circulating inside a home. However, while air filtration is effective, it addresses the symptom rather than the root cause of the problem.
Think of this (and home energy efficiency in general) as fixing a hole in a leaky boat instead of installing a bigger bilge pump to pump all of the water out. Here is how we do that from a home performance standpoint:
Sealing the Deal: The Importance of a Better Building Envelope
Sealing up your home from the contaminants and temperatures of the outside air is critical to the task of reducing pollen in your home. In building science, this is called “improving the home's building envelope”. Insulation and air sealing in critical areas such as the attic and crawl spaces are paramount. These upgrades reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gains in the summer but also prevent outside air—and by extension, pollen—from infiltrating the home. A well-sealed and insulated home maintains a more consistent indoor temperature and reduces the workload on heating and cooling systems, which in turn contributes to a cleaner indoor air environment.
Efficient Heating & Cooling Systems Help Keep Pollen at Bay
An efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is another crucial component in keeping pollen from accumulating.
Central heating and cooling systems, like forced air furnaces and air conditioners, have air filters to remove contaminants, but should be changed out at least every 90 days (sometimes sooner).
Heat pumps and ductless mini splits also contain air filters, which are reusable and hand-washable. These air filters should also be cleaned every 30-90 days, and should be professionally cleaned on an annual basis - especially before and after the allergy season.
Comprehensive Solutions for Indoor Air Quality
Halco Home Services offers comprehensive solutions tailored to the indoor air quality challenges that homeowners face in the Finger Lakes region. Our expertise in home performance, professional insulation, air sealing services, and state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems equip us to tackle the diverse challenges of indoor contaminants.
You can also schedule an indoor air quality test for your home to get answers to what is in the air you are breathing. Our indoor air quality tests provide accurate results on levels of the following:
- Particulates like dust & dander
- Carbon monoxide
- High or low humidity
- Carbon dioxide
- Temperature inconsistencies
- Volatile organic compounds like odors & chemicals
Halco Home Services is dedicated to helping homeowners in the Finger Lakes achieve healthier indoor air quality through comprehensive home performance and healthy home solutions. By investing in these areas, homeowners can enjoy a healthier living space, free from the discomforts of pollen and other allergens, year-round.
