We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building makes up 90% of our schedule. Although, 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 tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy expenses, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a result, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpet, it might help purify the air traveling around your house.
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 may also be appropriate if you or a loved one has a lung condition, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can determine what’s correct 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 alongside your heating and cooling equipment to treat your complete residence. Some types can clean independently when your heating and cooling unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the best filtration you can get, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more effective when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general 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 primary ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might aggravate respiratory symptoms, even when released at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to consider when getting 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 purified more quickly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the best performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other steps to reduce 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 mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can irritate symptoms. If you must do these chores yourself, consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Use air conditioning while at home or while driving. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC unit.
- Equalize your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 775-230-7628 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal equipment for your residence and budget.