We spend a good majority of our time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building accounts for 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s because our residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy bills, it’s not so good if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a result, these pollutants may aggravate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your couch or flooring, it may help clean the air moving throughout your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be useful if you or a family member has lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can learn what’s appropriate for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC equipment to treat your full residence. Some models can purify by themselves when your heating and cooling system isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household odors.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may irritate respiratory problems, even when emitted at small amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to ask 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 bigger number means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other procedures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you must do this work yourself, consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Use your air conditioner while at home or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort unit.
- Equalize your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 602-971-0567 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal unit for your house and budget.
