3 Ways to Allergy-Proof Your Home Before Summer

Schedule Now

Given the prevalence of seasonal allergy triggers in the great outdoors, it’s important you take steps to allergy-proof your home. According to a published study, Ohio ranked among the top ten worst states for seasonal allergies in the U.S. in the period from May 2014 to May 2015. Your home should be a haven for relief from these airborne irritants and pollutants. However, the opposite is often the case: Tightly-sealed, energy-efficient homes may create an enclosed environment that allows allergens to concentrate to levels even higher than outdoors.

As another summer allergy season arrives, here are three things you can do to allergy-proof your home:

Keep the House Cool and Dry

Mold spores and dust mites — both major allergy triggers — thrive in warm, humid environments. Keeping the temperature below 80 degrees and indoor humidity below 50 percent suppresses mold and dust mites. Schedule annual preventive maintenance to make sure your air conditioner is operating at optimal specs. Also consider installing a whole-house dehumidifier to keep indoor levels in the healthy, allergy-free range, even during our humid summers.

Change the Filter

The entire air volume inside your home is filtered by the HVAC air filter multiple times daily. A filter that’s not rated to remove microscopic particulates like mold spores and pollen will not protect against airborne allergens. In addition, a dirty, neglected filter may actually serve as a breeding ground to spread these contaminants throughout your living spaces. Buy quality, pleated air filters with a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating of at least 8 to capture microorganisms that trigger allergies. All summer long, change the filter every month.

Exhaust Kitchen and Bathrooms

Cooking with natural gas produces fumes that can exacerbate allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. Meanwhile, water vapor produced by bathing fosters mold and mildew growth. Install exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms to reduce the allergen potential. Make sure fans vent all the way to the exterior of the house—not simply into the attic.

For more about ways to allergy-proof your home and improve indoor air quality, contact Apollo Home Heating, Cooling, Electric and Plumbing.

 

Schedule
Call
"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
    Read Reviews
    Image

    Financing

    Learn More
    Image

    Apollo Care Plan

    Learn More