3 Must-Have HVAC Upgrades for Asthma Sufferers

Asthma is one of the most serious chronic health conditions that people face today. An estimated 25 million people in the United States alone suffer from asthma. Anytime an asthma attack occurs, a person's airway becomes constricted. This constriction can cause pain and discomfort, and can even be fatal in extreme cases.



The equipment that you use to heat your home during the winter months can have a direct impact on a person with asthma. If someone in your home has been diagnosed with asthma, here are three must-have HVAC upgrades that will help minimize asthma symptoms over time.

1. Programmable Thermostat

The thermostat acts as the brain of your HVAC system. Once you have set your desired temperature on the thermostat, this device will monitor the temperature in your home. If the temperature drops below your desired setting, the thermostat will signal the furnace to begin circulating heat throughout your home.

Upgrading to a programmable thermostat can be a simple way to help alleviate asthma symptoms.

Many asthma attacks can be triggered by changes in temperature. Most people think of these temperature changes as being those that occur when someone steps out of a warm home on a cold day. The truth of the matter is that temperature fluctuations inside your home could be enough to cause an asthma attack.

A programmable thermostat allows you to create multiple temperature programs that will be run throughout the day. You will be able to use your programmable thermostat to reduce your energy costs without compromising the warmth and consistency needed to protect against asthma attacks.

2. UV Lights

Residential HVAC systems can become contaminated with allergens, bacteria, and germs. These contaminants become airborne inside your furnace, and they are distributed throughout your home along with heated air.

Anyone who has asthma knows that being exposed to these contaminants could trigger an asthma attack. One of the most efficient ways to sanitize the air that you breathe inside your home is to upgrade your HVAC system to include UV lights.

The UV lights that are installed inside HVAC systems operate within the UV-C light spectrum. It has been scientifically proven that this light spectrum contains the wavelengths that are most efficient for air purification.

An experienced HVAC technician can install UV lights inside your furnace or inside your air ducts to help eliminate all airborne contaminants that may cause someone to have an asthma attack.

3. Additional Filtration System

All modern HVAC systems are equipped with an air filter. The air filter is uniquely designed to help remove contaminant particles from the air supply pulled into your home's furnace. While this basic filtration is adequate for many homeowners, someone with asthma may need a greater level of filtration to prevent asthma attacks.

Additional air filters can be added to your HVAC system. An upgraded air filtration system will typically feature a HEPA filter. HEPA filters are built to effectively eliminate 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from your air supply. Traditional filters aren't capable of capturing these smaller particles.

The addition of a HEPA filtration system can improve air quality inside your home and prevent airborne contaminants from triggering an asthma attack for someone in your household.

The design of your HVAC system can play a significant role in managing asthma symptoms. The addition of a few simple upgrades can help transform your existing HVAC system into a more asthma-friendly system.

If you need more information on additional ways to help improve your home's air quality and ease the asthma symptoms of a loved one in your home, contact Central York today.