We spend a lot of time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being inside comprises 90% of our time. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s because our houses are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great 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. Consequently, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpet, it could help freshen the air traveling across your home.
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 may also be appropriate if you or a loved one has lung issues, such as 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 one room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your HVAC equipment to treat your complete residence. Some models can work on their own when your HVAC unit isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can find, 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 dynamic combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household odors.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could aggravate respiratory problems, even when released at minor settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a listing of questions to consider when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be freshened 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 Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the best results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other measures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you must do these chores on your own, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid drying laundry outside.
- Run your air conditioner while indoors or while driving. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Balance your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Want to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 254-355-3833 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best system for your family and budget.