We spend lots of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside.
That’s since our homes are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility expenses, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get trapped. As a result, these pollutants may worsen your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furniture or carpet, it may help clean the air moving around your residence.
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 could also be useful if you or someone in your household has lung issues, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences so you can figure out what’s appropriate for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC unit to clean your complete house. Some models can work on their own when your home comfort unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the greatest filtration you can find, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid purchasing an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory troubles, even when discharged at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a listing of questions to ask 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 better figure means air will be purified more quickly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I complete that without help?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the most excellent results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other measures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you have to do this work yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on new clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Use the AC while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort unit.
- Equalize your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Want to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 713-469-3357 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right system for your residence and budget.