We spend a good majority of our time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building comprises 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s because our houses are tightly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so good if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get captured. Consequently, these pollutants may aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpeting, it can help clean the air circulating throughout your residence.
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 might also be useful if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the differences so you can determine what’s right for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort equipment to treat your entire residence. Some models can clean on their own when your HVAC equipment isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, 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 mighty blend can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA advises ozone may worsen respiratory issues, even when released at low settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to think over when getting 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 purified more quickly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that on my own?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other measures to limit your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you must do this work on your own, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid drying laundry outside.
- Turn on air conditioning while indoors or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC system.
- Balance your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 540-675-4306 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal unit for your home and budget.