Home
Better Breathing Reducing allergens with whole-house purification By Jason Boyett
L
ast month was a bad one for allergy sufferers. September pestered local sinus passages with cold north winds and high pollen counts. Those are pretty typical, but the smoke from Colorado and California wildfires were a new phenomenon – and made allergies even worse. Spring gets most of the annual attention, but fall is ragweed season. Allergy sufferers had no way to escape it other than staying home. But what if the air and dust inside your home also trigger allergies? Today’s homes are more energy-efficient than ever before, which means any air pollutants that get inside the house tend to stay inside the house. Everything from dust mites to pet dander can inflame asthma and
10
AMARILLOMAGONLINE.COM • OCTOBER 2020
worsen allergy problems. Without adequate filtration, they might just keep circulating through the air ducts. Given the pandemic, most locals have become more aware of indoor air quality than ever before, and may have turned their attention lately to devices like humidifiers or in-room air purifiers to improve indoor conditions. With that in mind, we asked Dustin Burnam, a senior HVAC technician and the “comfort advisor” at Gary’s Heating and Air Conditioning, for a professional perspective on keeping indoor air clean. Here are a few of his recommendations.
