We spend a lot of time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our houses are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpet, it could help freshen the air moving across 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 helpful if you or a loved one has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can figure out what’s appropriate for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort system to purify your full residence. Some models can clean independently when your home comfort system isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and provide the best filtration you can find, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more effective when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.
Avoid purchasing an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might aggravate respiratory issues, even when released at minor settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to consider when buying 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 better amount means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the most excellent results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other measures to limit your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores yourself, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Turn on air conditioning while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC system.
- Equalize your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Ready to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 239-244-3439 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right unit for your family and budget.