We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building accounts for 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s since our residences are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. As a result, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your couch or carpeting, it might help clean the air traveling around your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be helpful if you or someone in your household 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 determine what’s correct for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your heating and cooling unit to treat your complete house. Some kinds can clean on their own when your home comfort system isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone may aggravate respiratory problems, even when discharged at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to consider when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher number means air will be purified faster.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I finish that on my own?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other procedures to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can trigger symptoms. If you must do these jobs on your own, consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid drying laundry outside.
- Use your air conditioner while at home or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort equipment.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 314-325-7552 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal equipment for your house and budget.