We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being inside accounts for 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s because our houses are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your utility bills, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your couch or carpet, it could help clean the air circulating throughout your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences so you can determine what’s correct for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your HVAC system to treat your entire residence. Some kinds can clean independent when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can get, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might aggravate respiratory troubles, even when emitted at low settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher figure means air will be purified faster.)
- How often 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 Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other steps to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can worsen symptoms. If you must do these chores on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Run air conditioning while at home or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling unit.
- Even out your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 724-401-1843 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right equipment for your family and budget.