We spend lots of time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside comprises 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our houses are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling expenses, 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 including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get captured. Consequently, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your couch or carpet, it could help freshen the air traveling throughout your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be helpful if you or a family member has lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can learn what’s right for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your heating and cooling system to treat your full house. Some kinds can purify by themselves when your heating and cooling system isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and provide the best 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 powerful blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA warns ozone could worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to think over when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that without help?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other procedures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you must do these jobs alone, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
- Run your air conditioner while at your house or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Even out your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for decreasing 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 take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 928-432-6018 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your residence and budget.