We spend lots of time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building accounts for 90% of our time. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s because our homes are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility bills, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. Consequently, these pollutants can aggravate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or flooring, it could help purify the air circulating throughout 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 may also be useful if you or a loved one has lung issues, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the distinctions so you can figure out what’s right for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling unit to clean your complete residence. Some kinds can work by themselves when your home comfort unit isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone may worsen respiratory problems, even when discharged at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to think over when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher amount means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that without help?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic recommends taking other procedures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores on your own, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Use air conditioning while indoors or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC unit.
- Balance your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 662-281-1231 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right equipment for your house and budget.