Winter is called the flu season for a good reason – you ARE more likely to catch a cold or the flu during winter. In fact February, is the peak for germs or bacteria. So, are you ready to try to make it through the epicenter of illness without getting infected?

We might be able to help…

Since the viruses that cause the cold and flu are airborne, your HVAC can play a part in getting you sick — or keeping you healthy.

Learn how to prevent the cold and flu this winter by following some basic tips — and using a few One Hour innovations.

How to Prevent the Cold and Flu

1. Run Your HVAC System

You probably love saving money on your heating bills, yet running your HVAC system, hot or cold, prevents illness.

When the air in your home stays still for too long, airborne viruses stick around, increasing the likelihood you get infected. This principle is the reason subway cars prove such a famous fertile breeding ground for viruses.

By nature of the season, you’re going to spend more time inside — not a bad thing on its own.  Just make sure you keep the indoor air fresh and healthy.

2. Install A Whole House Humidifier

The reason that flu and cold viruses run rampant during winter? The air is so dry, according to studies.

Although scientists aren’t exactly certain as to why, moisture in the air dramatically reduces how contagious a virus is. Some research hypothesizes the water vapor can deform the virus.

Enough with the scientific theories, though, all you need to know is that adding moisture into your air keeps you healthy.

Distribute moisture throughout your home using a whole house humidifier. A whole house humidifier attaches to your water line and mounts in your HVAC system, distributing moisture evenly throughout your home.

In addition, a whole house humidifier also lessens the symptoms of a cold, like:

  • Sore throat
  • Post Nasal Drip
  • Congestion
  • Scratchy voice

Portable humidifiers: You Get What You Pay For

You might be tempted to pick up and portable humidifier at the pharmacy and assume it’s pretty much the same thing.

Wrong.

A portable humidifier only adds moisture to the area directly around it. Plus, a portable humidifier needs to be cleaned frequently — otherwise it spreads bacteria and germs into the air.

3. Keep Your Home Warm — especially if you’re coming in from the cold

Viruses and bacteria don’t care about the temperature outside. They are more than happy to infect you regardless. However your body’s natural defenses become suppressed in the cold. The silica hairs in your nose, which serve as the frontline of defense, become less effective when they get cold.

That means there is some truth in the old wives tale that going out in the cold means you’re more likely to catch a cold. Make sure your home is warmed up — and ready to warm you up — when you come in from the cold.

4. OXY Quantum UV Air Cleaner

Want to turn your ventilation into a virus eradicating machine? Then you want to harness the power of the OXY Quantum UV Air Cleaner.

The OXY Quantum UV Air Cleaner uses the power of UV light to sanitize the air flowing through your vents. The only way to kill airborne bacteria and viruses, the OXY Quantum UV Air Cleaner turns your HVAC system into an air purification machine.

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning technician Dave Landis learned about the OXY Quantum UV Air Cleaner and tried one in his home. This is what he shared.

“After a few days of training and learning the advantages of OXY Quantum UV Air Cleaner, I thought two things. I’m not going to talk about it if it doesn’t work, but if it does, I need this in my house for the health and well-being of my family. It didn’t take long for me to notice a difference.” Dave said.

As a family, we  enjoy going to church every Sunday. At that time we had two boys, 14 months apart. They were little petri dishes, getting sick and causing at least one of us to miss church almost once a month or every other month. Now OXY Quantum UV Air Cleaner is not a fix all, but since installing it in June of 2014, I can count on one hand how often one of us has missed church.“

Asthma and Allergies: the solution

Talking about the flu, winter colds, and respiratory health, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the MicroPower Guard.

This hyper-powerful electronic filter pulls 97% percent of particulates from the air, approximately 50% more than a standard filter.  While this filter can’t prevent you from getting sick it can make sure your breathing clean, healthy air. This hardware is huge to sufferers of allergies, asthma, chronic sinusitis, and those getting over a cold.

Wrap-Up

While we definitely also advocate traditional healthy habits like a flu shot and a bowl of warm chicken soup, we want you to think about the air you breathe when combating airborne illnesses.

Follow these tips and give your immune system the best chance possible to make it through cold and flu season unscathed. If you want some hardware to back you up, install an OXY Quantum UV Air Cleaner, a whole house humidifier, or both. Remember, we’re the HVAC experts backed by the top-of-the-line tech.

We’d love to hear from you, so contact us to install an OXY Quantum UV Air Cleaner, a whole house humidifier, or for all of your heating and cooling needs.