We spend a lot of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors accounts for 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our residences are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy expenses, it’s not so good if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your furniture or carpet, it could help freshen the air traveling across your residence.
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 could also be helpful if you or a family member has lung trouble, 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 figure out what’s right for your home.
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 equipment to purify your entire home. Some kinds can purify by themselves when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and provide the best filtration you can buy, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more effective when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the best in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone may worsen respiratory symptoms, even when released at minor settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to ask when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher amount means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched? Can I complete that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the most excellent performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other procedures to limit your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you must do this work on your own, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and change your clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
- Run the AC while indoors or while in the car. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC unit.
- Balance your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 304-707-0600 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right unit for your needs and budget.