We spend a good majority of our time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building makes up 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our residences are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants could irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or flooring, it could help purify the air circulating across your home.
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 can also be appropriate if you or a family member has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions so you can figure out what’s right 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 with your home comfort unit to purify your complete residence. Some models can purify independent when your home comfort system isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.
Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone could irritate respiratory issues, even when emitted at minor concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to ask when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better amount means air will be purified more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises completing 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 heightened.
- Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can worsen symptoms. If you have to do this work on your own, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Run air conditioning while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC system.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Want to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 608-291-3606 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal system for your house and budget.
