4 Ways Your Furnace System Can Affect Your Health
When it comes to winter weather, there’s nothing better than curling up at home, warm and cozy. Unfortunately, we don’t always get to stay warm inside if our furnace decides to break right in the middle of a Colorado snowstorm. There are many reasons why our furnaces are important, and keeping warm is just one small part of the equation.
Your furnace does more than just heat air that flows through your house; it also cleans, filters, and protects the air in your home. While the weather outside might be frightful, the air inside could be harmful to your health if your furnace isn’t working as well as it should be.
Here are four ways your furnace system can affect your health and ways to manage these health risks.
- Allergies: Your furnace could be contributing to your allergy issues, even when the air outside is fresh and clean. When you turn on your furnace, especially after it has been off for the warmer parts of the year, collected pollen and dust from the ducts are pushed into your home. Additionally, mold can grow in the vents as well, leading to health problems when the furnace is turned on. Furnace experts recommend having your ducts cleaned once a year, or after it has been off for an extended period of time.
- Nosebleeds: A furnace can dry out the air in your home, which can cause irritation in your nasal passages. Nosebleeds can result from irritated mucous membranes, as can colds and other discomfort. If you experience issues with dry air, consider investing in a humidifier for your home.
- Gas leaks or CO2 poisoning: Depending on the kind of furnace you have, a natural gas or carbon dioxide leak could be hazardous to your health. While natural gas has a noticeable smell associated with it, carbon dioxide does not. It’s important to always have a CO2 monitor in your home to detect leaks.
- Asthma: Like allergies, asthma can be exacerbated by excess particles in the air. If you or someone in your home is experiencing asthma more than usual, it might be time to check your furnace air filters. These filters clean the air that is circulating inside your home, but once they are full, they cause the furnace to work ineffectively and aren’t cleaning the air as well as you need them to.
For more information on furnace repair, maintenance, and care, talk to the experts at Denver’s Best Heating and AC Repair at 303-327-9208.
