Your furnace is not causing the problem.
We see it over and over again. It is a common misconception that your forced air furnace dries the air out in your home causing between with allergy problems difficulty in breathing. It just isn't true. the furnace in your home has no ability during the winter time to dry the air out. All it does is warm the air up to about 130-140 degrees and circulate it into your home. For those of you that are know doubting me go over to your furnace and look for the drain. If you have an air conditioning you have a drain, but it will be bone dry.
But my furnace has a drain and it is wet, doesn't mean that it is drying out the air.
No, it does not. You have a 90%+ AFUE furnace with either an open or a sealed firebox. The water that you are seeing come out of the burners is condensation from the combustion gases cooling off in the heat exchanger and in the vent through the roof. This spent air is removed to the outdoors and is not put back into your home.
But it feels drier when the furnace is on
Yes, you are correct, but it is not drier. Your body's own ability to function and the slight breeze in the home is making you feel drier. The actual moisture content of the air will not change noticeable with the advent of a furnace heating system operating.
 So, my allergy problems are not coming from my furnace. Where are they coming from?
The furnace fan motor could be pulling dirt right through the filter if you have a low grade filter and allowing the debris, mostly dead human skin, to blow though out the home. The air hitting the ceiling could be blowing built up debris on the ceiling around. Build up in the ducting could be to blame, but none of these reasons are all that significant. There is only so much dirt in the ducts and it will blow out quickly. The debris being knocked loose from the ceiling will dissipate after a day or two.
Your ducting is most likely broken or was never sealed properly
If the air ducting in your home is loose or not sealed, the air from the furnace blower motor will push out of the ducting into the attic or crawl space. This creates a continuous vacuum in the home. The vacuum must be satisfied so air is pulled in through every crack and crevice in your home. From between plumbing pipes, electrical wires, flue stacks, the duct serving the bathroom exhaust bath, the water heater vent and the over hood vent. All these things can move air and debris from the outside into your home and can do it every time your heating system is operating.
So, if your allergy problems don't go away within and first few days of operating your heating system, you should call us. We will find out where the problems are and give you solutions that will have you breathing easier in no time. |
