From December to February the Hill Country air is full of cedar pollen. Filters, duct cleaning, purifiers and humidity in plain terms: what works, what is marketing, and in what order to do it.
If you live anywhere between Marble Falls and Austin, you do not need a definition of cedar fever. The mountain cedar releases pollen from December into February, and on a windy day the count is among the highest recorded for any plant anywhere. You cannot fix the outside. Here is what you can do about the inside, roughly in order of value.
The cheap fiberglass filter stops rocks. For pollen you want a pleated filter rated MERV 11 to 13, changed every one to two months during the season. Higher than 13 can restrict airflow on an older system, so ask before going to a HEPA-style filter. This is the cheapest improvement and the one most people skip.
Return ducts in the attic pull air from wherever they leak, and in an attic that means dusty, pollen-laden air that bypasses the filter completely. A leaking return plenum is common in homes built in the 90s and 2000s. Sealing it is part of our duct repair work and it changes what the filter is actually filtering.
Duct cleaning helps when the ducts are actually dirty: visible dust at the registers, a home that gets dusty in a day, a renovation, pets, or a system that has never been cleaned. If the ducts are clean, cleaning them does not reduce pollen, and we will tell you so at the free inspection. What does help everyone is a clean coil and blower, because a dusty blower wheel throws particles at every register.
Portable purifiers clean one room. A media filter cabinet or an electronic air cleaner at the air handler cleans every cubic foot the system moves. A UV light at the coil keeps the coil from growing things but does nothing for pollen. We install both and will tell you which one your house actually needs.
Winter air in the Hill Country is dry, which irritates sinuses that are already inflamed. Summer is the opposite, and humid indoor air is what lets microbial growth get a foothold on the coil. A whole-house humidity control is a comfort item for winter and a mold-prevention item for summer.
Free inspection, photos of the ducts, coil and plenum, and an honest list in order of value. Sometimes it is a filter and a sealed return and nothing else.
See what Air Duct Busters customers have shared about the work completed, their experience with our team, and the service they received.
They came to do the full inspection of our HVAC system and performed a thorough inspection with photos and a very detailed list of quoted recommendations. Gary and team were punctual the 3 times they came to our home and their price was very reasonable.
Read on GoogleNoah took the time to show us photos from inside the vents and ductwork and clearly explained the level of cleaning needed and why. We really appreciated the transparency and education instead of feeling pressured.
Read on GoogleGary inspected the plenum, there was microbial growth in the insulation. The system was replaced 3 years ago but had the original 20 year old plenum. Gary replaced the plenum and installed a scrubber. We haven't had any allergy problems in our new home so far.
Read on GoogleNoah was professional, knowledgeable, and extremely thorough while working on both my air ducts and chimney. He took the time to explain everything and made sure the work was done properly from start to finish.
Read on GoogleShort reads from the crew: what we find in Hill Country homes, what it costs, and what to do about it.
From our job log in Marble Falls: 8 recent visits for dryer vent, ductwork, microbial growth and air quality. Photos from the crew, work as written on the invoice.
September 7, 2026 · 4 min read
From our job log in Killeen: 8 recent visits for ductwork, dryer vent, microbial growth and air quality. Photos from the crew, work as written on the invoice.
September 7, 2026 · 4 min read
From our job log in Lampasas: 6 recent visits for chimney and fireplace, dryer vent, ductwork. Photos from the crew, work as written on the invoice.
September 7, 2026 · 3 min read
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