We spend a good majority of our time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building comprises 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s because our houses are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can boost 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 your house, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or flooring, it might help clean the air circulating around your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help reduce 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 kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can learn what’s appropriate for your house.
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 heating and cooling system to clean your complete residence. Some models can purify by themselves when your heating and cooling unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can find, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household odors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might aggravate respiratory issues, even when discharged at minor settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher number means air will be cleaned faster.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched? Can I complete that on my own?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the best performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other steps to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores alone, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Use air conditioning while at your house or while driving. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort system.
- Even out your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Want to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 254-307-9572 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best unit for your family and budget.