We spend a lot of time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside accounts for 90% of our days. However, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s since our houses are firmly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpeting, it could help purify the air circulating across your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be useful if you or a family member has lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can determine what’s right for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC equipment to purify your complete house. Some kinds can work on their own when your HVAC equipment isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might worsen respiratory issues, even when emitted at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be purified more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other procedures to decrease your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you must do these jobs alone, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on new clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Turn on your air conditioner while at home or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC equipment.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 877-389-2465 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the best unit for your house and budget.
