We spend a good majority of our time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside comprises 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s because our houses are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great 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 insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get stuck. As a result, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to provide relief.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your furniture or flooring, it might help purify the air moving around 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 might also be helpful if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can determine what’s correct for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort equipment to purify your full house. Some types can work by themselves when your heating and cooling 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 placed in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful blend can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone could aggravate respiratory troubles, even when discharged at low settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to consider when purchasing 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 freshened more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other procedures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can irritate symptoms. If you must do this work yourself, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe right away and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
- Use the AC while indoors or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Even out your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Ready to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at (818) 727-9993 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the best equipment for your family and budget.
