We spend a good majority of our time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors comprises 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside.
That’s due to the fact our residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get trapped. As a result, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpeting, it can help clean the air moving across your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lessen 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 go over the differences so you can learn what’s right 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 alongside your HVAC system to treat your entire house. Some models can work independently when your heating and cooling unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more effective when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA advises ozone could aggravate respiratory symptoms, even when released at small settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to think over when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher amount means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I finish that on my own?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the top performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other measures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these chores on your own, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Use the AC while at home or while driving. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Even out your home’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 435-753-5515 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal system for your family and budget.