We spend lots of time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside comprises 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s because our houses are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get trapped. As a result, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpeting, it might help purify the air traveling around your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be helpful if you or someone in your household has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the distinctions so you can learn what’s correct for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling system to purify your complete house. Some models can clean independent when your HVAC equipment isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option 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 eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household smells.
Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA advises ozone may irritate respiratory issues, even when discharged at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher figure means air will be purified more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? 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 family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do this work yourself, consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
- Turn on the AC while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort unit.
- Balance your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 239-214-0411 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the right equipment for your home and budget.