We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s because our homes are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so great if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants could worsen 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 during the time you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or carpet, it may help freshen the air traveling around your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be appropriate if you or a family member has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the distinctions so you can determine what’s appropriate for your house.
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 heating and cooling system to treat your entire house. Some kinds can purify independent when your heating and cooling system isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA advises ozone might irritate respiratory issues, even when discharged at minor settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to ask when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger figure means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other steps to limit your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do this work on your own, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Run the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort system.
- Balance your home’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 254-355-3833 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right unit for your residence and budget.
