You’re sitting inside in the cool AC after a day out at the pool when all of a sudden, your eyes start watering, your throat is scratchy, and your sinuses are so congested you can feel them pounding. If you’re one of the lucky few that don’t suffer from allergies in the summer, it begs the question, what could be causing your sniffles?

Don’t worry. You’re not allergic to your air conditioner.

Well, not exactly. While it’s not an allergen itself, your air conditioner plays a major role in the air quality of your home and heavily affects your allergies.

Here are a couple of ways to beat indoor allergies this summer!

Stale Air Makes for an Uncomfortable Space

The problem with a central air conditioner is that the air cycles through a certain area multiple times a day. That means that any allergens sucked up into your AC from the outside are continuously recycled through your home, exacerbating your allergies.

An air conditioner is supposed to cool your home by pulling the humidity out of the air and replacing it with cool air, but that also contributes to your allergies.

When the cold air circulates through your air conditioner and meets the warmer air outside, it can cause mold growth. As the mold spreads throughout your air ducts, the spores are distributed throughout your home.

Mold can also be created by leaky drip pans or clogged condensation lines, so keep a check on your AC System for any leaks or drips. If you spot a puddle anywhere, be sure to call a professional out to check for leaks in your system.

And, while leaks and mold are some of the more intense allergy factors, it could be something as simple as air filters that are the source of your sniffles.

The Most Reliable Tool

The main purpose of your air filters is to trap the dirt, dust and dander floating around in your home. But the dirtier they get, the less they’re able to do their job of trapping those nasty floaters, meaning that more are getting swept around in your home. To prevent this, be sure to change or clean your air filters every 30-60 days.

There are a couple of other ways you can keep the air in your home as clean and allergen-free as possible.

If it’s been a while since you’ve changed your filters or you notice the air quality in your home is especially bad, you can have your ducts professionally cleaned to combat the build-up of dust, dander and even mold.

It might be a good idea to switch to a HEPA-certified air conditioner filter for those who struggle with severe allergies or asthma. These High-Efficiency Particulate air filters have smaller holes so that they can catch more of the allergens and dust in the air.

There are multiple other ways that your AC can help defeat the allergens in your home, including upgrading an old AC and installing air purification systems. Give us a call, and we’ll be happy to discuss ways to help you breathe more easily in your home.