We spend lots of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined 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 outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our residences are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy bills, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. As a result, these pollutants may aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your couch or carpeting, it might help purify the air moving across your house.
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 could also be helpful 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 examine the advantages so you can learn what’s correct 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 HVAC equipment to treat your entire residence. Some models can work independent when your heating and cooling system isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and provide the most comprehensive filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA advises ozone could irritate respiratory problems, even when discharged at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to ask 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 higher number means air will be purified more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I finish that without help?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests completing other measures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Run air conditioning while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort equipment.
- Equalize your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 208-603-2210 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal unit for your house and budget.
