Quote:
Originally Posted by recycled sixtie
in floor heating. I have no idea of the economics of one versus the other but I find that every Fall and Winter I get allergies from the furnace cutting in and blowing warm air around. Dust accumulates quicker than in our rented condo which has in floor heating.
I change the furnace filter frequently but does not make much difference.
Consequently I get allergies like headaches and stuffiness. Does anybody else suffer from allergies from their forced air furnace?
Guy
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What you are experiencing is a real issue, but it is not dust allergies caused by the blowing fan and circulating dust. You are experiencing the effects of low humidity. Winter air is dry anyway. Combine that with the fan from a forced air furnace and the humidity level drops to a point where you experience exactly the symptoms you describe. The dry air causes irritation and inflammation which make you feel exactly like you have allergies. Lots of people also develop post-nasal drip from the dry air which causes a cough which also mimics allergies.
Managing humidity in a modern house is tricky. You could put a humidifier in, get the humidity level up to 70% and start feeling better overnight. But you'd have water dripping from your ceilings like it was raining and your windows would condense like someone was spraying a water hose on them.
You should have a whole house air exchanger. That mixes a little outside air into the inside air and manages your humidity level. If you don't have one, get one. If you do, manage the settings until you reach a happy medium where you have enough humidity in the air to feel good but not so much that condensation is a problem.