We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors makes up 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s since our houses are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your couch or carpeting, it may help clean the air moving across your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be useful if you or a family member has lung issues, including 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 learn what’s correct 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 works alongside your HVAC system to clean your entire residence. Some kinds can work on their own when your home comfort system isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can get, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful blend can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA advises ozone might irritate respiratory issues, even when released at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to ask when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher figure means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that on my own?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other steps to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you must do these chores alone, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and change your clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Use the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Balance your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 717-220-4502 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal unit for your family and budget.
