We spend a lot of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors makes up 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s because our houses are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy costs, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get trapped. As a result, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your couch or carpeting, it may help clean the air moving throughout your residence.
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 could also be helpful 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 determine what’s right for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling system to purify your full house. Some kinds can clean by themselves when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the best in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might irritate respiratory problems, even when discharged at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be purified more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that without help?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other procedures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can worsen symptoms. If you have to do this work yourself, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
- Use air conditioning while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC equipment.
- Balance your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Prepared to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 715-504-0533 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal system for your house and budget.