We spend a lot of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our homes are firmly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy costs, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants can aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpeting, it may help purify the air moving across your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce 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, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions so you can learn what’s right 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 with your heating and cooling unit to clean your entire home. Some models can purify independent when your heating and cooling unit isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household smells.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might aggravate respiratory problems, even when emitted at minor concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to consider when buying an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other measures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can trigger symptoms. If you have to do these chores on your own, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and change your clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Turn on your air conditioner while at your house or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC equipment.
- Balance your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 717-479-4950 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the best system for your family and budget.