We spend lots of time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors makes up 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s since our homes are firmly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get trapped. As a result, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpet, it can help purify the air traveling 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 can also be appropriate if you or a family member has a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can determine what’s appropriate 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 home comfort system to purify your entire residence. Some kinds can clean on their own when your heating and cooling unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can find, 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 powerful blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory issues, even when emitted at small settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to think over when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better number means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How regularly 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 Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other procedures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you must do these chores yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Use the AC while at your house or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling system.
- Balance your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to take the next step with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 478-200-5689 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal system for your family and budget.