We spend a good majority of our time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s because our homes are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or flooring, it could help freshen the air traveling across your residence.
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 could also be appropriate if you or a family member has a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences so you can figure out what’s correct for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your home comfort equipment to clean your full residence. Some kinds can work independent when your heating and cooling unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.
Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA advises ozone might worsen respiratory problems, even when released at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger figure means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that on my own?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other steps to decrease your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can trigger symptoms. If you have to do this work alone, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
- Turn on air conditioning while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort unit.
- Balance your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 925-233-6238 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the best unit for your house and budget.
