We spend lots of time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building comprises 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s due to the fact our homes are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility expenses, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants can worsen 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 during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or flooring, it could help freshen the air circulating throughout your home.
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 might also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can figure out what’s appropriate for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling system to treat your entire house. Some types can clean independent when your home comfort 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 placed in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.
Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory issues, even when released at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests completing other procedures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs on your own, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe right away and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Turn on the AC while at home or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC system.
- Balance your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 208-621-0129 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the right system for your family and budget.