We spend a good majority of our time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building accounts for 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our homes are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy bills, it’s not so great 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) might get trapped. As a result, these pollutants could irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at your house, 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 might help freshen the air traveling throughout your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be helpful 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 figure out what’s appropriate 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 home comfort unit to clean your full home. Some kinds can clean on their own when your home comfort equipment isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the greatest filtration you can get, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA advises ozone might aggravate respiratory troubles, even when released at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to consider when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I finish that without help?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other steps to limit your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you have to do these chores alone, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Run air conditioning while indoors or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort equipment.
- Balance your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 724-425-5852 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right unit for your residence and budget.