We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s because our residences are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so great if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or carpeting, it may help clean the air circulating across your house.
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 could also be useful if you or a family member has lung trouble, including 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 figure out 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 accompanies your heating and cooling unit to purify your entire residence. Some models can clean by themselves when your HVAC system isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA warns ozone could aggravate respiratory troubles, even when released at small settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to think over 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 higher figure means air will be purified faster.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that without help?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends taking other measures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you have to do this work alone, consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower right away and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Turn on the AC while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling system.
- Even out your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Ready to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 614-879-9091 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best system for your home and budget.