If you thought the end of spring and summer would bring the end of allergy season, you may have been mistaken. In fact, it seems that fall and winter bring the allergens indoors, so you are coughing, sniffling, and sneezing in your own home. What you probably don’t realize is turning on your heating system for the first time could produce a massive allergic reaction.

For starters, turning on a forced air heating system can stir up allergens caught in the materials within your home, such as pet dander, mold, and spores. This is a consequence of anything that blows, and the best way to avoid extensive health problems and allergies is to thoroughly clean all fabrics in the home before turning on the heat for the first time. This means dusting the drapes (outdoors), vacuuming, and even cleaning cloth furniture.

Also, dust and dirt have been caught up in the unused heating ducts all spring and summer, so when you turn on your heat for the first time this year, you are effectively blowing all these nasty particles into your living space. Have no fear – there are ways to get around the pesky materials causing you distress.

Start by having your furnace and ducts cleaned. Every winter season should bring with it preventative maintenance, which includes the removal of unwanted buildup in your heating system. Remember, your ductwork has had an entire summer to gather bits and bobbles that will only incite allergic reactions on your part. Cleaning the mess is the first step to breathing fresh air.

Another good way to keep your heating system in shape is to install permanent HEPA filters. These can remove anywhere from 70-90% of the unwanted solids in your breathable air. At the same time, cleaning and maintenance are still important – HEPA filters must be cleaned periodically as well.

You may also be experiencing breathing pains because your air is too dry. If you are having frequent nose bleeds due to the heat running through the winter, consider adding a moderate amount of humidity to your environment. You can use saline sprays for instant relief of irritated mucous membranes in your nose, but a more permanent solution is to install a humidifier in your living space.

Taking care of your heating system means taking care of your health. To learn more about winter preparation for your heating system, visit our Lewisville TX heating and cooling website.

Fall is officially upon us, and that means colder weather is right around the corner. Is your home’s heating system up to snuff? So focused on making sure their air conditioning systems work well in the hot summer months, many homeowners don’t consider having a professional Lewisville HVAC technician come out to inspect their furnaces in the fall. As we witnessed last winter, however, the coldest winter days in Texas can be brutal. An inspection of your gas furnace or other heating system now can prevent sudden loss of precious warmth when you most need it.

A qualified HVAC technician will thoroughly check your heating system for potential problems and perform maintenance on your furnace’s existing components as a preventative measure. The following are typically included in a fall furnace inspection:

• Furnace test

• Evaporator coil inspection

• Burner cleaning and adjustment

• Heat exchanger cleaning and inspection

• Gas leak detection

• Blower belt inspection and adjustment

• Bearing lubrication

• Safety control test

• Filter change

Whether you have a gas furnace, electric furnace or heat pump, you owe it to yourself and your family to make sure this winter will be a comfortable one. For good heating system performance during the winter, contact the Lewisville TX HVAC professionals at Southern Comfort A/C & Heating for a fall preventative maintenance check today.

At Southern Comfort Mechanical, a Lewisville Texas A/C and heating company, we realize that heat pumps are not widely understood comfort systems, yet they can effectively and efficiently serve the heating and cooling needs for many Texas residents. An air-source heat pump – the most common type of heat pump – is a single unit that uses refrigerant to both cool and heat an interior space. During the hot summer months, an air conditioner cools a home by moving the hot air from the inside of the home to the outside of the home. During the winter, the opposite happens; heat from the outside is transferred to the inside of the home.

Are heat pumps energy efficient? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, an air-source heat pump can provide anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times more heat energy to a home than electricity it consumes. Heat pumps work most efficiently in moderate temperatures. Generally speaking, efficiency and effectiveness are drastically reduced when temperatures fall below 40 degrees. In this case, auxiliary electric resistance coils are available to heat the home until the temperature climbs back up.

When should one consider using a heat pump? Some Texas homes do not have gas lines; therefore, efficient gas furnaces are not an option. In this case, heat pumps can provide a significant cost-saving alternative to standard electric heat furnaces.

Our Lewisville heat pump experts can help you determine if a heat pump is right for your home or office.