We spend a lot of time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside.
That’s because our residences are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants could irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpeting, it can help purify the air moving throughout your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be appropriate if you or a loved one has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the distinctions so you can learn what’s appropriate for your home.
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 unit to purify your complete house. Some kinds can purify on their own when your HVAC equipment 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 placed in hospitals and provide the best filtration you can buy, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA advises ozone may worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing 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 higher number means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the best performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other measures to limit your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores yourself, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Run the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider installing a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort system.
- Balance your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 515-344-3579 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right equipment for your home and budget.