We spend a lot of time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our houses are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. As a result, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling 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 couch or flooring, it might help freshen the air traveling throughout your home.
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 a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can learn what’s right for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your HVAC equipment to purify your full residence. Some types can clean by themselves when your HVAC system isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could worsen respiratory problems, even when released at small settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to consider when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger figure means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I complete that on my own?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other measures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs yourself, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Turn on air conditioning while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling unit.
- Equalize your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at (770) 462-5319 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right equipment for your family and budget.