We spend lots of time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated 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 dirtier 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 good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpet, it may help purify the air traveling around 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 someone in your household has a lung condition, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions so you can determine what’s correct for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your heating and cooling unit to purify your complete house. Some kinds can purify independent 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 provide the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone could worsen respiratory troubles, even when released at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I finish that without help?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other procedures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you are required to do these chores on your own, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
- Turn on the AC while at your house or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort equipment.
- Equalize your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Ready to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 256-270-1196 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal system for your house and budget.
