We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside comprises 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our homes are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. Consequently, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your furniture or flooring, it can help purify the air circulating across your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be helpful if you or someone in your household 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 advantages so you can figure out what’s appropriate for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your HVAC unit to clean your complete house. Some kinds can clean independent when your home comfort unit isn’t operating.
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 find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic combination can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might irritate respiratory problems, even when emitted at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to think over when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher amount means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I finish that without help?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other measures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you must do this work on your own, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Run the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling unit.
- Equalize your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Ready to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 812-663-7252 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best equipment for your family and budget.