We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our residences are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your utility expenses, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants could irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to provide relief.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpeting, it may help purify the air traveling across your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be helpful if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions so you can figure out 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 home comfort equipment to clean your entire home. Some kinds can work by themselves when your home comfort system 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 placed in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can get, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the best in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.
Avoid purchasing an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might aggravate respiratory issues, even when released at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to ask when getting 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 quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed? Can I complete that without help?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the best performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can irritate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs on your own, consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and change your clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Run air conditioning while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort unit.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Want to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 713-364-9957 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the best equipment for your needs and budget.