We spend lots of time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside accounts for 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s because our residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility bills, it’s not so great 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) could get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpeting, it could help clean the air traveling around your residence.
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 could also be appropriate if you or a loved one has lung issues, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the distinctions so you can learn what’s correct for your residence.
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 equipment to clean your entire house. Some types can purify independently when your HVAC unit isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone could irritate respiratory symptoms, even when discharged at minor settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the top outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other steps 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 family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do these jobs on your own, consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Run the AC while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC equipment.
- Equalize your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 803-220-0761 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your home and budget.