dpb wrote:

Sam Takoy wrote:
...

I have a household member who suffers from asthma. East coast, Philly
area. We have observed strong correlation between the symptoms and the
A/C being on. (Maybe the correlation is with hot and humid weather, but
we think it's A/C because it also depends on the room.)

So what do you recommend to minimize the effects?
...

I'd recommend first discussing w/ the cognizant physician(s) the trigger
mechanisms so you can attack them directly rather than just blindly
throwing money at it.

For our kids and my mother the electrostatic precipitator was the key
element as it removed a large fraction of the pollen and dust motes that
were there triggers. Whether that's the case for your family member is
anybody's guess; everybody has their own.

--

EPs are great, and not to be confused with the largely bogus "permanent
electrostatic filter". If it doesn't have a high voltage power supply
and a metal plate collection array, it is not an electrostatic
precipitator.

As for the correlation with the symptoms with the A/C being on, that
suggests that there is a source of allergens in the ductwork past the
filter (presuming you are using a good filter like the Filtrete), and/or
intake leaks drawing contaminants in at a point past the filter. Also
when the A/C is on it will tend to stir up dust and debris in the home
if the home is no-so-clean.

The "duct cleaning" thing gets bashed a lot, and in most cases is indeed
pointless, but when you do have reason to suspect a problem in the
ductwork, it makes sense to at least inspect the interior of the ducts
in a few places to see if there is a problem.