We spend lots of time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our homes are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so great 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 may worsen your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your couch or flooring, it might help freshen the air moving across your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can 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 advantages so you can learn what’s correct for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your heating and cooling unit to purify your complete house. Some kinds can purify independent when your HVAC equipment isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and provide the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.
Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory problems, even when released at low settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to ask when purchasing 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 amount means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic recommends taking other procedures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do this work yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower right away and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid drying laundry outside.
- Use the AC while at home or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling unit.
- Balance your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 928-432-6018 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your residence and budget.