We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building makes up 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our houses are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get captured. Consequently, these pollutants might worsen your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpeting, it can help clean the air circulating across your home.
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 might also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can learn what’s correct for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier works with your HVAC equipment to clean your complete house. Some kinds can purify by themselves when your heating and cooling unit isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and deliver the greatest filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the best in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household smells.
Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may irritate respiratory issues, even when emitted at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be freshened faster.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that on my own?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other measures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do this work alone, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Use air conditioning while at your house or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort equipment.
- Balance your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 402-628-0206 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your home and budget.
