We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors makes up 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our homes are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpeting, it can help freshen the air circulating around your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be useful if you or someone in your household 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 correct for your house.
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 equipment to purify your full home. Some models can purify independent when your heating and cooling unit 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 placed in hospitals and deliver the greatest filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the best in air purification, think over a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may irritate respiratory issues, even when released at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a listing of questions to ask 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 better figure means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I complete that by myself?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other procedures to decrease your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these jobs yourself, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Use your air conditioner while indoors or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Balance your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Want to take the next step with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 301-690-0397 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best system for your family and budget.