We spend lots of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside comprises 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s since our homes are tightly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or carpet, it may help clean the air circulating throughout your home.
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 a family member has a lung condition, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the advantages so you can figure out what’s correct 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 system to treat your full house. Some models can work on their own when your home comfort system isn’t on.
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 offer the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary ingredient in smog. The EPA advises ozone might irritate respiratory issues, even when released at minor concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to think over when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher number means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that on my own?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other steps to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these jobs on your own, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Run your air conditioner while indoors or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC equipment.
- Even out your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 636-206-4250 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal unit for your family and budget.