We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside makes up 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s because our homes are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants may worsen your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your couch or flooring, it might help clean the air traveling around your home.
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 may also be useful if you or a loved one has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can determine what’s correct for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your heating and cooling equipment to clean your complete residence. Some types can clean independently 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 provide the greatest filtration you can get, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more effective when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can eliminate 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 decrease household odors.
Avoid purchasing an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA warns ozone could aggravate respiratory troubles, even when emitted at small amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to ask when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher number means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed? Can I complete that by myself?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the most excellent results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other procedures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can irritate symptoms. If you have to do these jobs alone, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Use your air conditioner while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Even out your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to take the next step with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 949-204-0859 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best unit for your home and budget.