We spend lots of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors accounts for 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s since our homes are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so good if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get stuck. As a result, these pollutants might worsen your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpet, it can help purify the air moving throughout your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be appropriate if you or a family member has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the distinctions so you can determine what’s right for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your heating and cooling equipment to treat your entire residence. Some types can clean independent when your HVAC unit isn’t running.
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 offer the greatest filtration you can find, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the best in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA warns ozone could worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to think over 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 cleaned faster.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other steps to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these jobs alone, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
- Turn on the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort unit.
- Balance your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Ready to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 715-301-0727 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the best equipment for your residence and budget.