We spend a good majority of our time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building accounts for 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our houses are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants may worsen your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or flooring, it can help clean the air moving around your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be useful if you or a loved one has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the advantages 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 works with your heating and cooling equipment to clean your full house. Some models can work on their own when your heating and cooling unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.
Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA advises ozone might aggravate respiratory issues, even when released at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing 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 better number means air will be purified more rapidly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests completing other procedures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can worsen symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs on your own, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower right away and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid drying laundry outside.
- Turn on your air conditioner while at your house or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling system.
- Even out your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Ready to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 270-358-3167 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal unit for your residence and budget.
