We spend a lot of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors 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 houses are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility expenses, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or carpeting, it can help clean the air moving throughout your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be helpful if you or a family member has lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the advantages 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 works with your HVAC unit to purify your complete residence. Some models can purify on their own when your heating and cooling unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier 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 remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to take care of household odors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA advises ozone can irritate respiratory symptoms, even when discharged at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be freshened faster.)
- How often 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 have the top performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you have to do this work on your own, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Turn on your air conditioner while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling unit.
- Equalize your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds 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 Needs
Ready to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 631-737-5566 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your family and budget.