Allergy Season Is Here. Is Your Indoor Air Ready?

An inside look at dirty ducts, allergens and improving air quality

Spring cleaning often focuses on what’s easy to see – closets, countertops, and the places dust settles in plain sight. But some of the most important cleaning happens where homeowners rarely look.

Every time an air conditioner turns on, air moves through a network of ducts hidden behind walls and ceilings. Over time, dust and allergens collect there, recirculating through living spaces. For many families, that buildup can show up as stuffy noses, lingering coughs, headaches, or a persistent sense of fatigue.

The invisible nature of indoor air quality became harder to ignore during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people began spending more time indoors and paying closer attention to the air they breathe.

Danny Towers, vice president of operations at Jacksonville-based Weather Engineers, said the pandemic brought the state of indoor air quality and its health effects to the forefront, noting that they’ve been able to fill a significant need for customers seeking quality air purification systems that support overall well-being. These days, homeowners and businesses have a variety of options. But often, it all starts with the state of the AC duct system.

According to Towers, the Weather Engineers Envirovac division, which specializes in indoor air quality, has seen increased consumer demand over the years. And while many homeowners assume replacing an air filter solves the problem, the reality is more complex.

Simply changing the air filter in an AC system doesn’t eliminate all the irritants that pass through the ductwork when the air conditioner is running.

“The filter catches it. You throw the filter away. All of that dirt is gone. But the dust that’s in the duct work is still there and it accumulates,” Towers explained.

To better understand what’s happening inside a duct system, Weather Engineers sends out their NADCA inspector – certified by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association – to diagnose conditions and provide an expert evaluation. By following NADCA guidelines, the company follows best practices set by the leading trade organization in the HVAC industry.

“We have a NADCA-certified inspector come out to inspect your home,” Towers said. “He goes to every single residence, and we go in and talk to our homeowners, find out what their problems are, and we provide them a solution for those problems.”

NADCA recommends cleaning duct systems every three years, but Towers noted that certain conditions can accelerate buildup, including shedding pets, nearby dirt roads, or chronic health concerns.

Over the years, the family-owned company has provided duct cleaning services to both residents and commercial property owners that move large volumes of air, such as laundromats.

“It’s like a spring cleaning,” he noted.

In addition to duct cleaning, Weather Engineers offers germicidal ultraviolet light technology designed to work continuously within HVAC systems, helping neutralize
viral particles that accumulate over time, including those associated with SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and noroviruses.

A 2022 study published by the National Institutes of Health showed that, for many common viruses, these specialized air purifiers achieve near-100% inactivation; the energy from the UV light creates a disinfectant zone that neutralizes viruses within particles as they pass through the air system.

“There’s probably 20 different viruses that the device has the ability to kill,” Towers said.

“When our customers call, we want them to talk to the same set of people on the phone in our customer service room,” Towers said. “We want them to know each other. We want to form that relationship. When they need us, we’re here to service them.”

As spring cleaning season gets underway, homeowners may want to consider not only what they can see, but what’s moving through their homes every day.

Founded in 1963 by James Griffin, Sr. Weather Engineers has remained family-owned for more than 60 years. Today, the company is led by Dan Griffin who works alongside his daughter Kayla Yeager and his son, Jamie Griffin, as the third-generation of family stewards continue to lead the company.