We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside accounts for 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our homes are firmly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your utility bills, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or flooring, it can help purify the air traveling throughout your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be useful if you or a family member 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 differences so you can determine what’s right for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort equipment to purify your entire residence. Some models can clean independent when your home comfort system isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA advises ozone might worsen respiratory troubles, even when emitted at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to think over when purchasing 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 number means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that without help?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests completing other procedures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do these jobs alone, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also bathe right away and change your clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
- Turn on the AC while at home or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort system.
- Equalize your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 740-200-5591 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best equipment for your family and budget.