The coming of warmer weather can be a relief in many ways. However, for some people, this also means the coming of allergy season. Your home's air conditioning unit can go a very long way when it comes to your comfort levels when the temperature climbs. But have you considered that your air conditioner has the potential to make your allergies worse? There are some rather straightforward ways to make sure that you can enjoy the benefits of your air conditioning without having to potentially aggravate your allergies.

Your Filters

When was the last time your air conditioner's filters were cleaned or even replaced? You probably don't check them all that often, since they're generally housed behind the grilles in your wall, making a screwdriver necessary for a decent inspection. Take the time to do this. These filters, as their name suggests, filter out impurities in the cool air being piped into the room. Their ability to do this is severely hampered when they're dirty, having accumulated vast amounts of microscopic dust mites and even pollen which is then fed into your home. Remove the filters and wash them in warm, soapy water. This improves their functionality, allowing them to do what they're supposed to do (filter). If it has been some years, you might simply wish to replace them. In the case of extreme allergies, consider upgrading your filters to those with a higher minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV), which can allow for a greater volume of airborne contaminants to be filtered out.

Your Unit

Allergy-causing irritants don't only accumulate in your air conditioner's filters. They can also easily build up in the unit's internal ducts. While you will have limited access to the ducts when the filter is removed, this is only a small proportion of the overall ductwork. Prior to allergy season, it can be wise to have the unit professionally inspected and thoroughly cleaned. Any company that handles air conditioning repairs can do this for you.

Outside Your Home

It's not as though you can prevent pollen and other irritants from being drawn into the external components of your air conditioner unit, and you can't do anything that will affect the unit's air intake. Still, if there are a number of flowering plants in the immediate vicinity of the unit's external components, a larger proportion of pollen that would otherwise occur can be drawn into the machine and expelled into your home. Consider relocating these plants.

There's no reason why you can't enjoy the cooling effects of your air conditioning while not making your allergies any worse. It's really about giving the unit the maintenance it needs. For more information about air conditioning repairs, contact a professional.

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