We spend a lot of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our residences are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling costs, 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) may get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants could worsen your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or carpeting, it could help freshen the air traveling across your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be helpful if you or a family member has lung issues, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can learn what’s appropriate for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your heating and cooling system to purify your full residence. Some models can work independent when your heating and cooling 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 deliver the greatest filtration you can buy, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.
Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA advises ozone might irritate respiratory issues, even when emitted at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a listing of questions to think over when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How often 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 Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other steps to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can irritate symptoms. If you must do these jobs on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Run the AC while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC system.
- Even out your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 614-879-9091 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the right equipment for your home and budget.