How Your HVAC Can Help You Fight Cold & Flu Season
There’s nothing more we love than a nip in the air… you can feel the change of seasons from summer to fall. Autumn means changing leaves, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin spice everything. Unfortunately, fall also means the start of flu season. And while viruses can spread year-round, the CDC says that peak spread happens between December and February.
The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine before flu season begins. There are also everyday preventive actions you can take to stop the spread of germs. For example, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, washing your hands often with soap and water, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Viruses like the common cold, the flu, and even COVID-19 are airborne, your home comfort system also plays a part in preventing illness.
Circulate the Air In Your Home Through Your HVAC
Listen, we get it. There’s NOTHING like Fall weather after another brutal Austin summer. It’s tempting to turn your home comfort system off – and enjoy the lower utility bills.
However, we recommend keeping your HVAC system running, even if it’s just in fan-only mode. We learned in some of the recent IAQ research that stagnant air is the enemy! It’s important to encourage air movement in your home, and one of the best ways to do that is to ensure the blower fan is running regularly. This way, air will circulate through your air filter (which you’re changing regularly, right?).
Products to Help Your Indoor Air Quality
Keeping surfaces clean and stocking plenty of hand soap at sinks are great ways to prevent spreading the flu inside your home. However, you can dramatically improve your home’s indoor air quality with devices designed to protect your health:
- Whole Home Air Purifier – allow us to recommend the Carrier Infinity air purifier, which is proven to kill cold and flu viruses. We install this device right inside your ductwork, which means it’s out of sight and working all the time as air passes through.
- Ultraviolet (UV) Lights – UV lamps can improve the indoor air quality of your home by killing mold and bacteria that may form on your indoor cooling coil. Although this solution isn’t specific to cold and flu, if your family members have allergies or other sensitivities, a UV lamp can help eliminate these sneeze-inducing microbes.
- Humidifiers – the amount of water molecules in the air can affect your health. In fact, the National Institute for Health states that the transmission of the influenza virus depends on both temperature and humidity. Adding a humidifier can create a more comfortable indoor environment (say goodbye to static electricity!) as well as improving the health of the air you breathe.
Fight the Flu with Your HVAC System
During this flu season, let McCullough Heating & Air Conditioning help you with keeping your home healthy! We understand the specific indoor air quality concerns that Austin homeowners face – from allergy-inducing cold snaps to cedar fever. Trust our team of experienced IAQ experts – schedule an indoor air quality audit today, and we can help make recommendations for your home.
