We spend a lot of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors accounts for 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s since our houses 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 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 result, these pollutants can aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your couch or carpeting, it may help clean the air moving throughout your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce 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 lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the distinctions so you can determine what’s appropriate for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling unit to treat your entire house. Some kinds can work independent when your HVAC system isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA warns ozone may aggravate respiratory issues, even when discharged at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to think over when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I finish that on my own?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other procedures to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do this work alone, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Use air conditioning while indoors or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 203-772-8319 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the right system for your family and budget.