We spend a good majority of our time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors comprises 90% of our time. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your furniture or flooring, it might help freshen the air moving throughout 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 may also be useful 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 go over the differences so you can determine what’s correct 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 works with your heating and cooling equipment to clean your entire home. Some kinds can clean by themselves when your HVAC unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and provide the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household smells.
Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA advises ozone could irritate respiratory troubles, even when released at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to consider when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that on my own?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other measures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you are required to do these chores on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Run your air conditioner while at your house or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC system.
- Balance your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 662-269-8716 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best unit for your residence and budget.
