We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building makes up 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s since our homes are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility costs, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furniture or carpet, it could help freshen the air traveling around your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be appropriate if you or someone in your household 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 advantages so you can determine what’s right 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 equipment to clean your complete house. Some kinds can purify independently when your heating and cooling system isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more effective when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA advises ozone might worsen respiratory symptoms, even when released at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to think over when buying 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 figure means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched? Can I do that without help?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the most excellent performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other steps to limit your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores yourself, consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe immediately and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Use the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC unit.
- Balance your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our pros a call at 239-214-0411 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your house and budget.