Tampa is known for sunshine, beautiful beaches, and exciting nightlife, but it has another distinction – as an “allergy capital“. This is due to the high pollen count for the Tampa Bay area. This pollen can make life challenging if you have seasonal allergies, especially to grass and tree pollen.
Why does this matter for an HVAC company like Millian Aire? It’s our job to help keep your home cool but also to help you breath clean air. We have been serving the Tampa Bay area for over 30 years now and we know a thing or two about allergies, pollen and the heat we get every summer!
Here’s why the pollen count in Tampa is so high and some practical solutions for allergy sufferers.
Why Does Tampa Have So Many Allergens?
Tampa is on the Gulf Coast of Florida, with a climate of warm temperatures and high humidity. This environment is ideal for the growth of many plants and trees that release pollen, a major trigger for allergy symptoms.
In Tampa, landscaping choices often include species that contribute to high pollen count, such as native low-water grasses (Bermuda Grass) and tropical flowering plants. Large swathes of the area are left wild, which also results in lots of pollen-producing plants.
Unlike colder regions where pollen is typically a spring phenomenon, Tampa’s mild winters and early springs lead to much longer pollen seasons. Trees such as oaks, pine, and cedar, which are prevalent in Tampa, can start producing pollen as early as late winter, extending the allergy season significantly.
This year, there was also an El Niño climate pattern that brought cooler, rainy weather, delaying pollen production. As spring sprung, all of that pollen was released, resulting in an even higher pollen count in Tampa than usual.
Practical Ways For Tampa Residents To Manage Allergies
- Stay informed about the daily pollen count for Tampa Florida (available through local news sources and weather websites). Plan your outdoor activities when the counts are lower, typically on rainy or less windy days.
- Keep windows closed, especially during high pollen days.
- Regularly dust and vacuum your home using a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter.
- Pollen can collect on your hair and skin throughout the day and taking a shower before going to bed can help remove these allergens, preventing them from spreading to your bedding.
- When you are outside during high pollen times, wear a mask and sunglasses to keep allergens away from your nose and eyes.
- Regularly bathe and groom pets to reduce the amount of dander and trapped pollen in their fur.
- If possible, replace carpeting with hard flooring, which doesn’t trap allergens as easily and is simpler to clean. This can drastically reduce the accumulation of allergens in your home.
How Can Millian Aire Help With Allergies?
While keeping windows closed and reducing pollen that comes in on clothes and pets is well and good, it won’t do anything to help if your HVAC system is pumping pollen into your house or failing to filter it out.
Here’s how HVAC repair and maintenance in Tampa can reduce allergens in your home:
Advanced Filtration Systems
Millian Aire offers some of the best advanced filtration systems. HVAC systems with HEPA filters or other advanced filtration technologies like woven fiberglass, pleated, static electricity, air cleaners and electronic air cleaners can drastically reduce the amount of pollen, dust, and other allergens inside your home. They are capable of trapping particles that are much smaller than the average pollen grain.
Regular Maintenance and Cleaning
Over time, ducts and filters can accumulate pollen and allergens that can be circulated back into your home. Professional cleaning helps ensure that your system is not contributing to indoor air pollution.
Air Cleaners
Millian Aire offers Solace Air Electronic Cleaners that are only 1 inch thick—far slimmer than the typical 5-inch filters—custom-made to fit your specific AC system. These cleaners can offer a significant decrease in the allergens in your home by trapping and eliminating a high volume of airborne contaminants and allergens.
High-efficiency air Filtration Systems are more extensive than standard filters or Electronic Cleaners, but they are highly effective in capturing a larger percentage of airborne allergens, so if you are suffering significantly from allergies and have tried other fixes without sufficient improvement, it may be the right solution for you.
Sealing Ductwork with Aeroseal
Leaky ducts can draw in pollen, dust, and other allergens from unconditioned spaces like attics and crawl spaces, distributing them throughout the home. Aeroseal is a patented technology designed to seal the leaks in your ductwork from the inside.
Contact Millian Aire For A Quote On Our Air Filtration System
The allergy count in Tampa can be a real problem for allergy sufferers. However, we have solutions that can make a significant difference in the air you breath inside of your home.
Contact Millian Aire for a free quote on how we can help bring you relief from allergies.
