We spend a lot of time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside accounts for 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s since our houses are tightly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy expenses, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get captured. As a result, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpeting, it could help freshen the air moving around your home.
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 could also be appropriate if you or a family member has lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences so you can learn what’s appropriate 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 alongside your HVAC system to clean your complete residence. Some models can work by themselves when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can get, as they eliminate 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 destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might aggravate respiratory troubles, even when discharged at small amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to consider when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that without help?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other steps to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you must do these jobs on your own, consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Use your air conditioner while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling system.
- Even out your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 219-872-2198 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right system for your family and budget.