We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside accounts for 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our residences are tightly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. Consequently, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and usual housework 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 provide relief.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your couch or carpet, it might help freshen the air traveling 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 a family member has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can determine what’s correct for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works with your home comfort equipment to treat your complete house. Some kinds can work independent when your HVAC unit isn’t on.
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 deliver the best filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might irritate respiratory issues, even when released at low settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to think over when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How frequently 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 Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other procedures to limit 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 mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can worsen symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Run the AC while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Equalize your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 918-212-8943 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best system for your home and budget.
