We spend a good majority of our time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside makes up 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s since our houses are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility costs, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants might worsen your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to provide relief.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your furniture or carpeting, it might help freshen the air circulating around your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the advantages so you can figure out what’s right 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 accompanies your home comfort equipment to treat your entire residence. Some types can purify by themselves when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA advises ozone could irritate respiratory troubles, even when released at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a listing of questions to think over when buying 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 amount means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How frequently 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 have the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other measures to limit your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these chores yourself, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Run the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC system.
- Balance your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to take the next step with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 314-262-4541 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the right equipment for your family and budget.