It seems like EVERYONE in Olathe and across the greater Kansas City Area is talking about how allergy season has arrived early this year. This is March! We should be stocking up on hot dogs and brats for the Royals Home Opener, green food coloring for St. Patrick's Day, or chips and dip for the 60-plus NCAA March Madness tournament games that we're planning to watch. Instead we're sneezing and wheezing and sniffling and stocking up on boxes of tissue and antihistamines. So what gives?
What Has Us Sneezing This Season?
Well, Kansas City is a good place for allergens and a bad place for allergy sufferers. In fact, the Greater KC Area ranks something around 50 out of the top 100 U.S. cities when it comes to allergens. Major allergens in Olathe and throughout the metro area include mold spores, ragweed, and pollen from trees such as elm, maple, juniper, and alder. And that's just the stuff that comes in from outside. Since we've been cooped up all winter, there's also pet dander and airborne dust that's probably being recirculated throughout your house, especially if you haven't changed the filter in your Olathe heating and cooling system in a while. If you're reaching for a tissue or an antihistamine, what can you do to help keep allergies from taking over your life this allergy season?
Fighting Seasonal Allergies in the Home
While it's always tempting to throw the windows wide at the first hint of nice weather in Kansas City, it's probably a better idea to keep them closed during allergy season and let your Olathe heating and cooling system keep your house cool. While you're at it, it's not the worst idea to invest in an electronic air cleaner, which can reduce allergens in the air and also help your air seem fresher, even when you can't open the windows.
You can't stay indoors all the time, though, especially as the weather starts to warm up. Many Kansas City residents rely on the local weather report, which also monitors pollen levels. That'll help keep your exposure to outdoor allergens to a minimum, and you can treat indoor ones with spring cleaning, hiring a carpet cleaner, and making sure that the filter on your HVAC system is changed regularly. Fortunately, that's something that your Olathe heating and cooling company knows a lot about!
Your HVAC System Can Be a Best Defense Against Allergens
The inside air can be a blessing for allergy sufferers, but that only works if it's actually better than the air outside. Since the Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that indoor air is up to 10 times more polluted than outside air, allergy sufferers may not have a much better time even if they stay indoors. Fortunately, there's a lot that you can do to improve indoor air quality. It starts by having your AC system inspected, cleaned, and tuned up in the spring, keeping your filters changed regularly, and investing in electronic air cleaners to help purify the air. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at that air conditioner tune-up. How can it help?
What You Get from Air Conditioner Tune-Ups in Olathe
As many Olathe residents already know, allergens in our fair city are often higher than in other parts of the KC metro area due to our proximity to undeveloped areas and croplands. We also have pretty strong winds out here, which can blow in allergens from far and wide. The first thing that you get from air conditioner tune-ups is a little relief—not to mention some peace of mind.
When Davenport Service Company technicians conduct a 25-point air conditioner tune-up, they'll do a whole lot more than change your filters—though we do that, too! We'll also adjust the flow of air through the ducts in the house, make sure everything is clean and in good working order, and turn off your humidifier for the season. Not only will air conditioner tune-ups help stop your AC from spreading allergens around your house, you'll also rest easy knowing that your HVAC system is in good working order for the spring and summer months, and it can save you money on your utility bills, too!
How Electronic Air Cleaners Can Help
Olathe homeowners who have installed electronic air cleaners have found that they are one of the best ways to reduce the effects of seasonal allergies within the home. Some brands of air cleaners can filter more than 99% of particulate matter from the air. That includes the most common allergens found in Olathe, such as pollen and pet dander.
While there's not much that we can do about outside allergens during allergy season, we can help keep them outside and turn our homes into a bastion of relief from sneezing, runny noses, and watery eyes by ensuring that our HVAC system stays clean and well-maintained and by investing in electronic air cleaners that are right for our homes. Fortunately, your friendly neighborhood Olathe heating and cooling company can help you do both!
Don't Let the Pollen Get You Down!
Seasonal allergies are annoying, at best, and they tend to keep us inside during the part of the year when we most want to be outside enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Luckily, allergy season is relatively short here in Olathe. While it is going on, though, we may as well make the most of it by ensuring that our homes are free from allergens and heated and cooled to just the right temperature so we can enjoy those March Madness games from the comfort of our own living rooms. That's where Olathe heating and cooling specialists like your friends at Davenport Service Company come in. With seasonal air conditioner tune-ups, electronic air cleaners, or even our worry-free VIP Program, we can help you fight back against allergy season. All you need to do to get started is to call 913-441-2222 today!
