
We spend lots of time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so great if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpeting, it can help purify the air moving across your residence.
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 can also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can determine what’s correct for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your HVAC equipment to clean your full home. Some types can purify independent when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, 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 combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate 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 ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might worsen respiratory issues, even when emitted at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to think over when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher amount means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other steps to decrease your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do these chores alone, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Run air conditioning while at your house or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC unit.
- Even out your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Want to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 561-287-7071 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal unit for your family and budget.