We spend lots of time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors comprises 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s since our houses are firmly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get captured. Consequently, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpet, it could help freshen the air circulating throughout your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, like 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 figure out what’s correct 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 works with your HVAC equipment to clean your full house. Some models can clean on their own when your home comfort unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can buy, 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 dynamic mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at minor settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to consider when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other procedures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs yourself, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe right away and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Turn on your air conditioner while at home or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort unit.
- Even out your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Want to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 256-801-4701 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal unit for your residence and budget.