We spend lots of time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s since our houses are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility costs, 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) can get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpet, it might help clean the air traveling around your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be useful if you or a loved one has lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can figure out what’s correct for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort equipment to purify your full home. Some types 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 placed in hospitals and provide the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful blend can wipe out 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 reduce household smells.
Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may irritate respiratory troubles, even when emitted at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better number means air will be purified more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that on my own?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other measures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can worsen symptoms. If you are required to do these chores on your own, consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Turn on air conditioning while indoors or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC system.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Ready to take the next step with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 602-789-3315 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right equipment for your home and budget.