We spend a good majority of our time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s since our residences are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpet, it could help freshen the air circulating across your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be useful if you or someone in your household has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can learn what’s correct for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC equipment to clean your complete residence. Some types can purify independent when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA warns ozone could aggravate respiratory problems, even when emitted at minor concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to ask when getting 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 higher amount means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that on my own?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other steps 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 high.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these chores on your own, consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Use the AC while indoors or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’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 kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 862-345-6896 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the right equipment for your family and budget.
