We spend lots of time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside accounts for 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
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 limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants might worsen your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furniture or carpeting, it may help purify the air moving around your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be helpful if you or a loved one has lung trouble, including 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 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 accompanies your heating and cooling equipment to treat your complete residence. Some kinds can work independent when your HVAC unit isn’t on.
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 most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic combination can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may irritate respiratory issues, even when released at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to think over when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better number means air will be freshened faster.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that on my own?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other measures to limit your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can irritate symptoms. If you have to do these chores yourself, consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Run the AC while at home or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC equipment.
- Balance your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Prepared to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 920-833-7967 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal unit for your family and budget.