We spend lots of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building accounts for 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside.
That’s since our homes are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility expenses, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. As a result, these pollutants can aggravate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpet, it could help clean the air circulating 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 may also be appropriate if you or someone in your household 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 appropriate for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC system to purify your full house. Some types can clean by themselves when your heating and cooling unit isn’t running.
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 deliver the best filtration you can find, as they remove 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 eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory problems, even when discharged at minor concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to ask when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher figure means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How regularly 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 Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the best outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other procedures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you must do this work alone, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Use air conditioning while at your house or while driving. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC unit.
- Equalize your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 662-281-1231 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right system for your needs and budget.