We spend a lot of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors comprises 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our houses are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility expenses, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get trapped. As a result, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpet, it can help freshen the air circulating throughout your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be helpful if you or a family member has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the distinctions so you can learn what’s right for your residence.
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 home comfort system to treat your entire residence. Some models can purify independent when your heating and cooling system isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA advises ozone may aggravate respiratory troubles, even when released at low 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 take out from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be purified faster.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that without help?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests completing other steps to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can irritate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs yourself, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Use the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling unit.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Want to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 740-474-5940 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right system for your house and budget.