We spend lots of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building makes up 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside.
That’s since our houses are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy expenses, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is insufficient, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpet, it can help clean the air circulating across your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be useful if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can learn what’s right for your house.
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 kinds can purify independently when your HVAC system isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can get, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.
Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA warns ozone might worsen respiratory issues, even when released at small settings.
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 take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger figure means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I complete that on my own?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the best outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other measures to limit your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut 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 these jobs yourself, consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Turn on your air conditioner while at your house or while driving. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC system.
- Balance your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Ready to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 956-630-3522 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal equipment for your needs and budget.