We spend lots of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors comprises 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our houses are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpet, it might help freshen the air circulating throughout your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be useful if you or a family member has a lung condition, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences so you can learn what’s right for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your home comfort system to clean your complete residence. Some models can clean independently when your home comfort equipment isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek an option 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 remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA advises ozone can irritate respiratory problems, even when discharged at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to ask when buying 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 bigger number means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the most excellent results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other procedures to limit your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you must do this work alone, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and change your clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Turn on your air conditioner while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider installing a high-efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort unit.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our pros a call at (985) 764-2426 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best unit for your house and budget.