We spend lots of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s because our residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy expenses, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpeting, it might help freshen the air circulating throughout your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be useful if you or someone in your household has lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the differences so you can figure out what’s appropriate for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your HVAC equipment to clean your full residence. Some models can purify independent when your HVAC system isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed 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 beneficial when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone might irritate respiratory troubles, even when discharged at small settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do 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] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other measures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you have to do these jobs alone, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Run air conditioning while at home or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling system.
- Balance your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 479-308-8176 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal system for your home and budget.
