We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors accounts for 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s since our houses are tightly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants can aggravate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpet, it might help freshen the air moving across your residence.
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 may also be helpful if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, such as 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 determine what’s appropriate for your home.
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 HVAC unit to treat your complete home. Some models can work independent when your home comfort system isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and deliver the greatest filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the best in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household odors.
Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA advises ozone may aggravate respiratory issues, even when released at small settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to ask when buying 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 higher figure means air will be freshened faster.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that without help?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can irritate symptoms. If you must do this work yourself, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower right away and change your clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
- Use air conditioning while at home or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort system.
- Balance your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 703-595-4157 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the best equipment for your residence and budget.