We spend lots of time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being inside comprises 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our homes are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants may worsen your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpeting, it might help clean the air circulating across your home.
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 might also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can determine what’s right for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your home comfort unit to clean your entire residence. Some types can clean by themselves when your HVAC unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA advises ozone may aggravate respiratory troubles, even when discharged at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to ask when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better amount means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the top outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do this work on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Run the AC while at home or while driving. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC unit.
- Even out your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros 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 530-885-8081 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best equipment for your home and budget.