We spend lots of time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors comprises 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s because our residences are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility bills, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get captured. As a result, these pollutants may aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpet, it could help purify the air moving throughout your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be appropriate 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 examine the advantages so you can learn what’s right for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your HVAC system to clean your entire home. Some kinds can purify by themselves when your home comfort system isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory problems, even when discharged at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better number means air will be purified faster.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I finish that without help?
- 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 advises completing other measures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you must do these jobs yourself, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Turn on the AC while at your house or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC unit.
- Equalize your home’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Prepared to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 361-265-4371 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal system for your family and budget.