We spend a lot of time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors accounts for 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s because our houses are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so good if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get captured. Consequently, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your couch or carpet, it may help freshen the air moving across your residence.
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 lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions 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 lone room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your home comfort system to treat your entire home. Some kinds can work on their own when your home comfort unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can find, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might irritate respiratory problems, even when discharged at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to consider 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 bigger number means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I complete that without help?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other measures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do this work alone, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Run the AC while at home or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC equipment.
- Even out your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 515-278-2900 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best system for your family and budget.