We spend a good majority of our time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside makes up 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s because our houses are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy expenses, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or flooring, it could help clean the air circulating around your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be useful if you or a family member has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can figure out what’s correct for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling system to clean your full home. Some types can work on their own when your heating and cooling unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might irritate respiratory troubles, even when released at small amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to consider when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger figure means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I finish that on my own?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you have to do these chores yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Run your air conditioner while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling system.
- Balance your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Ready to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 940-202-1184 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal system for your home and budget.
