We spend lots of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building makes up 90% of our days. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside.
That’s since our houses are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. As a result, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpeting, it might help freshen the air circulating around your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be appropriate if you or a loved one has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions so you can figure out what’s right for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort unit to clean your full residence. Some types can work independently when your heating and cooling unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can get, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to take care of household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory symptoms, even when released at low settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to think over when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger figure means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed? Can I finish that on my own?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the top performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic recommends taking other procedures to decrease 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 cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can irritate symptoms. If you are required to do this work yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower right away and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Run your air conditioner while at home or while in the car. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC system.
- Balance your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 602-971-0567 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the right unit for your needs and budget.