We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building makes up 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s since our homes are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility bills, 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 like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. As a result, these pollutants could irritate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at home, 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 traveling throughout your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be appropriate if you or a family member has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the distinctions so you can determine what’s right for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling equipment to clean your full house. Some types can work independent when your HVAC system isn’t operating.
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 trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.
Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA advises ozone could worsen respiratory issues, even when released at small amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist 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 higher figure means air will be purified more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do spare 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 recommends doing other measures to decrease your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you have to do these jobs alone, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Use your air conditioner while at your house or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Equalize your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Want to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 512-355-1482 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best system for your residence and budget.
