We spend lots of time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors comprises 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s since our homes are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy costs, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or carpet, it could help purify the air traveling across your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lower 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 lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, 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 residence.
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 clean your complete home. Some kinds can work by themselves when your HVAC unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the greatest in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA warns ozone could aggravate respiratory problems, even when released at minor settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a listing of questions to think over when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be purified faster.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I finish that without help?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests completing other measures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these chores yourself, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
- Use air conditioning while at home or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC equipment.
- Equalize your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Ready to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 715-504-0533 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal unit for your residence and budget.