We spend lots of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building accounts for 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s because our houses are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility bills, it’s not so good if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get captured. As a result, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or flooring, it can help purify the air circulating around your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be helpful 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 examine the distinctions so you can learn what’s right for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your HVAC system to purify your full residence. Some types can work independently when your HVAC equipment isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can buy, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could aggravate respiratory symptoms, even when released at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to consider when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger figure means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I do that on my own?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the most excellent results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other procedures to reduce 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 mow 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 wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
- Turn on air conditioning while at home or while in the car. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC system.
- Equalize your home’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Want to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 209-257-3156 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your house and budget.