We spend a lot of time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building comprises 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s because our homes are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy expenses, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get trapped. As a result, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpet, it can help clean the air circulating around your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be appropriate if you or a family member has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the differences so you can learn what’s right 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 works alongside your heating and cooling unit to clean your entire house. Some types can clean independent when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t running.
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 deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA warns ozone could irritate respiratory issues, even when emitted at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a listing of questions to consider when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger figure means air will be purified more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I complete that on my own?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other steps to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you have to do these jobs alone, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Turn on air conditioning while indoors or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC equipment.
- Balance your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 203-357-5913 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal unit for your family and budget.