We spend a lot of time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being inside makes up 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s since our houses are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. Consequently, these pollutants can aggravate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpeting, it can help purify the air circulating throughout your home.
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 could also be helpful if you or a loved one has a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the distinctions so you can determine what’s correct 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 with your HVAC unit to treat your entire residence. Some types can purify by themselves when your home comfort system 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 offer the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA advises ozone may aggravate respiratory issues, even when released at minor concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to consider when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher amount means air will be purified more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that without help?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other measures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these chores on your own, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
- Turn on air conditioning while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC unit.
- Even out your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 301-690-0397 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal equipment for your residence and budget.