We spend a lot of time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building comprises 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s since our houses are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good 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 restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants could irritate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to provide relief.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or flooring, it might help purify the air circulating across your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be helpful if you or someone in your household has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can learn what’s appropriate 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 alongside your HVAC unit to treat your full house. Some types can purify independent when your HVAC equipment isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and provide the most comprehensive filtration you can get, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might aggravate respiratory problems, even when discharged at low settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be purified more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I complete that on my own?
- 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 unit? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other procedures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause 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 irritate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs yourself, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on new clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Run your air conditioner while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC unit.
- Balance your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Want to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at (985) 764-2426 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best equipment for your family and budget.
