We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s because our residences are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants can aggravate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpet, it may help freshen the air moving across your residence.
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 could also be useful if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences so you can figure out 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 treat your full residence. Some kinds can work by themselves when your HVAC equipment 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 used in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA warns ozone could worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher number means air will be purified faster.)
- How frequently 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 {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do these chores on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Use air conditioning while indoors or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling unit.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to take the next step 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 system for your residence and budget.
