We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s because our homes are firmly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility expenses, it’s not so great if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular housework 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 provide relief.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpeting, it might help purify the air circulating around 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 a loved one has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can figure out what’s correct 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 alongside your heating and cooling system to purify your complete house. Some models can clean on their own when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t on.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might irritate respiratory issues, even when discharged at low concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to consider when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- 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 switched]? Can I complete that without help?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do this work yourself, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Use air conditioning while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling unit.
- Even out your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Want to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at (616) 319-1436 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal equipment for your house and budget.
