Is your air conditioning system ready for pollen season? In Georgia, the pollen season typically begins in March and ends in April. This is when the pollen count is the highest for most cities throughout the Peach State. While you can’t prevent flowers and trees from releasing pollen, there are ways to prepare your air conditioning system for the pollen season. Here’s how.
Get Your Air Ducts Cleaned
You can prepare your air conditioning system for the pollen season by getting your air ducts cleaned. Air ducts are conduits that carry conditioned air to the rooms in your home and unconditioned air back to your air conditioning system’s evaporator coil. Over time, they accumulate pollen and other contaminants. A professional cleaning service will remove these contaminants while allowing you and your family to breathe a little easier during the pollen season.
Switch to a HEPA Filter
Switching to a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can give you the upper hand on pollen this spring. All central air conditioning systems require an air filter. It’s typically found near the evaporator coil. Your air conditioning system will pull unconditioned air through the air filter and over the evaporator coil. After passing over the evaporator coil, the air will become cool and conditioned.
HEPA filters work like other air filters by catching particulate matter. The difference is that they are designed to remove smaller, finer particles than their standard counterparts. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says that air filters must be able to remove 99.97% of all particulate matter measuring 0.3 microns or less in diameter to receive the “HEPA” label. By switching to a HEPA filter, you’ll have a cleaner home with less pollen.
Get Your AC System Serviced
You can prepare your air conditioning system for the pollen season by getting it serviced. Servicing typically consists of a multipoint inspection. During this inspection, the technician will check all of your air conditioning system’s components to ensure they are working as intended.
Open Up the Vents
Don’t forget to open up all of the air vents in your home. Closed air vents can lead to increased levels of airborne contaminants, including pollen.
If you close the air vents in a room, it won’t receive conditioned air. The air will remain stagnant and humid. More importantly, pollen may build up inside of the room. You can better prepare your air conditioning system for the pollen season by opening up all of the air vents in your home.