forced air system and asthma (Seattle, Yakima: to rent, houses, buying)

[karina67]

We are going to move to the Seattle area hopefully this December. I think most houses in the Seattle area use forced air as a heating system. We live in the Netherlands and the system we mostly use here is a gas radiator system. I have never experienced a forced air system. Since a have a (light) form of asthma I wonder if it can affect my asthma in a good or bad way. Does anybody have experience in this and willing to share this? And what about the air condition in general? We are looking for a house in the Issaquah area.

Thanks for sharing

[Ira500]

Forced air systems can be a negative for people with asthma, but they don't have to be. Furnaces have filters, and most people don't change them frequently enough, so the allergens and particles that contribute to asthma linger.So if you have asthma, change those filters regularly, and even better, get one of those electrostatic filters.
Also, the ductwork in forced air systems ought to be cleaned out once or twice a year, and most people never do it..I've lived in this house for 13 years, and we had the ducts cleaned out once, so I'm not practicing what I'm preaching. What's the saying? Do as I say, not as I do

[Ultrarunner]

If you are used to radiant heat... you will never really like forced air heat.

There are many benefits of radiant as well as the negative of increased up front cost...

As mentioned... there are very good filtration add ons that can be done... you can even use hepa filters.

Another variable is run time... I know folks that use their furnace only as back-up... they heat primarily with wood and others just don't heat a lot.

Are you buying or renting?

[Kayela]

My huband has allergies, and we live with forced air. In addition to what the others have mentioned - good filters, clean the ducts, etc, you REALLY need to keep the place dusted and vacumed. In order to force the air out, the system has to draw air in (it's called a 'cold air return'). So if you don't keep the place clean -all that dust, pollen, pet hair, etc, will get drawn into the system and forced back out into the air. I dust weekly and vacume the main traffic areas 2-3 times a week.

Forced air also dries the air out which can aggravate some people's allergies/asthma and allows dust and allergens to circulate more easily. It is pretty damp around here, but you may want to be aware of the possibility and get a humidifier if you notice it bothering you.

I grew up with radiator heat (hot water). I really, really don't care for forced air. Radiator heat is so even and comfortable (and not drafty). Some older houses around here have radiators or baseboard heating - both of which I prefer. However Issaquah is newer and most newer houses have forced air, so you're right in that you're probably going to have it.

[karina67]

Thank you all for your very helpful advices. I will definitely check with the home owner about the filters. And see if we can install a special anti allergy filter. We want to rent a house for at least the first year. Preferably in the Klahanie area.

[uktechguy]

All the replies here have provided you with good advice. I am an ex-patriate Brit that has lived in the USA for 10 years. I do not like the forced air systems that predominate in American houses - they are noisy, inefficient in terms of energy and space utilisation, they are impossible to balance correctly and they dry the air out. However the good news is that hot water heating with radiators (it is called hydronic heating in the USA) does exist in a minority of USA households and in Western Washington there are contractors and suppliers that can install and maintain these systems. I am currently installing a modern gas fired hydronic system in my house in Yakima Eastern Washington. This is something to consider if you are, in the future going to purchase a house.