We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors comprises 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our residences are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so great if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a result, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or carpet, it may help clean the air traveling throughout your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be helpful if you or a loved one has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can determine what’s appropriate 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 home comfort unit to treat your full house. Some types can purify independent when your home comfort unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA warns ozone could worsen respiratory problems, even when emitted at small amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to ask 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 changed]? Can I finish that on my own?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other procedures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you must do these jobs alone, consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower right away and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Run air conditioning while at your house or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Even out your home’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 509-284-4265 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the best equipment for your house and budget.
