Fit Your HVAC System with the Best Home Air Filter for Allergies

If you suffer from allergies, indoor irritants can make your Muncie home a hotbed of misery. From Anderson to Hartford City, we’re up against the pollen count. It climbs high during Indiana springs and summers, with fall leaves providing another seasonal allergen.

Plus, if you have pets, dander (as well as dust, mites, and other allergens) can circulate through your HVAC system if your filter isn’t good enough to stop it.

So, what can you do? One of the simplest yet most important things you can do to minimize indoor airborne irritants is to make sure you’re using the right filter for your furnace and air conditioner.

How Your HVAC Air Filter Can Help with Your Indiana Allergies

HVAC filters capture contaminants in the air and prevent them from floating freely around your home. They can trap differently-sized particles, depending on the MERV rating. Lower ratings mean only trapping the largest debris, like dust and pet hair. Higher MERV ratings can remove things as small as bacteria or fine-particle pollutants.

Not only can you make sure you have the right filter for the system you have, but you can talk with an expert technician to explore your options for acquiring a new system that will allow you to filter more allergens from the air. Not every system can handle a high-MERV filter, so talk to the pros to find the best air filter for your system.

Choosing the Allergy Filter for Your Home

When looking for an air filter to minimize your allergies, always choose one with more pleats over one with fewer. More pleats mean more surface area to catch contaminants while allowing for more effortless airflow, even toward the end of the filter’s lifespan.

MERV ratings measure the size of particles your filter can capture: the higher the rating, the smaller the particles it traps. However, residential furnaces have an upper limit to how high a rating they can handle before they lose efficiency. Check with your manufacturer or an HVAC professional to determine the maximum MERV rating for your furnace or AC.

The best MERV rating for allergies usually falls between 8 and 13, though it may depend on what you’re allergic to:

MERV Rating

Particles Captured

1-4

Fibers, dust mites, pet hair, dust, some pollen

5-8

Small pollen, mold spores, aerosols, powdery debris

9-12

Exhaust fumes, lead dust, some bacteria, pet dander

13-16

Most bacteria and viruses, tobacco smoke, airborne sneeze droplets

Data gathered from Air Filters Delivered and HVAC Training Shop.

No matter the MERV rating, the more frequently you change the filter, the more airborne allergens it can eliminate.

How to Reduce Pollen in the House

While filtering out allergens from the air can reduce your symptoms, it’s even better to keep pollen and other irritants out altogether.

Here’s how to reduce the pollen, dust, and other allergens getting into your home:

  • Keep doors and windows closed as much as possible during peak allergy season (mid-May to late September in Muncie).

  • Bathe and brush pets regularly.

  • Keep your outdoor jackets and shoes separate from your living spaces to avoid tracking in pollen.

  • Dust regularly with a microfiber cloth that traps dust instead of spreading it.

  • Dust your vent covers.

  • Clean potentially pollen-filled debris off your outdoor AC unit.

  • Make sure your windows are sealed correctly.

 

Other Ways to Beat the Indiana Pollen Levels

  • Duct cleaning. Regular professional duct cleaning means no dust buildup or mold in your vents to worsen your allergies. Schedule duct cleaning every few years to minimize the amount of debris in your indoor air.

  • Air purifier. Run an air purifier in the room or rooms you use the most for the best results. Pick an air cleaner that can handle HEPA filters. Choose a unit sized appropriately for the room you want to use it in.

  • System maintenance. Your HVAC system will only filter correctly if it’s in good working order. Our Comfort Club guarantees you a yearly inspection and a discount on repairs to keep things well-maintained. Professional technicians can catch small problems before they impact your HVAC’s filtering abilities.

  • Regular filter changes. The most important thing you can do yourself is regularly change your filter. Usually, you would change an HVAC filter every three months. With allergies, you should change it every 20–45 days to ensure it works at its best.

 

Optimize Your HVAC Against Allergies with Help from Muncie’s HVAC Pros

Even with your new filter ready to go, there’s still more to be done for your HVAC system. The experts at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning of Muncie can recommend and install allergy-friendly improvements to your HVAC system. Plus, we can install a new energy-efficient system that can handle a higher-rated filter. Call us at (765) 204-1218 or book an appointment online.