We spend lots of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside comprises 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s because our homes are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so good if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get trapped. As a result, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your couch or flooring, it might help clean the air traveling around your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be helpful if you or a loved one has lung trouble, such as 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 right 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 equipment to treat your full house. Some kinds can work by themselves when your home comfort unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and provide the best filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend 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 eliminate household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could irritate respiratory problems, even when released at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a listing of questions to consider 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 regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other steps to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can trigger symptoms. If you have to do this work yourself, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and change your clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Use the AC while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC system.
- Even out your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Want to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 601-736-7362 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best unit for your residence and budget.