We spend lots of time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our homes are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to provide relief.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or flooring, it could help freshen the air circulating throughout your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be useful if you or a family member has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the differences so you can figure out what’s appropriate for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling unit to purify your complete residence. Some types can work independently when your heating and cooling unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more effective when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic combination can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA warns ozone might irritate respiratory issues, even when discharged at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to consider when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher number means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched? Can I do that on my own?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the top performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other measures to decrease your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs on your own, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
- Run air conditioning while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling system.
- Equalize your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Ready to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 877-389-2465 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your house and budget.