We spend a lot of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building makes up 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s since our homes are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy expenses, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or flooring, it can help purify the air circulating around your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be appropriate if you or a loved one has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can determine 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 accompanies your HVAC unit to clean your complete house. Some models can purify on their own when your heating and cooling equipment 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 installed in hospitals and deliver the greatest filtration you can buy, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more effective when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the best in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might aggravate respiratory problems, even when discharged at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to think over when buying 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 freshened faster.)
- How often 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 have the best results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other procedures to limit your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do this work on your own, consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Turn on the AC while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC equipment.
- Balance your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for decreasing 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 Needs
Want to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our pros a call at 239-241-5318 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right unit for your home and budget.