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 time. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our homes are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get stuck. As a result, these pollutants could worsen your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpeting, it could help freshen the air moving around your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be helpful if you or a loved one has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions so you can learn what’s right for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling unit to clean your complete home. Some models can work by themselves when your HVAC equipment isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can get, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful 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 best in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might aggravate respiratory troubles, even when emitted at small settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to think over when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher number means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other steps to limit your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores on your own, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Run the AC while at your house or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort system.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Want to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 314-262-4541 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best equipment for your residence and budget.