We spend lots of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our days. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s because our residences are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. As a result, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or flooring, it might help freshen the air traveling around your residence.
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 useful if you or a family member has lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the differences so you can learn what’s correct for your house.
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 clean your complete residence. Some models can purify by themselves when your HVAC equipment isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the best in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA warns ozone may aggravate respiratory problems, even when discharged at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to consider when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be purified more rapidly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other measures to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you must do these jobs on your own, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Use your air conditioner while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort unit.
- Balance your residence’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 Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 812-200-5844 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best unit for your residence and budget.