We spend lots of time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s since our houses are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy costs, it’s not so great if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpeting, it could help purify the air circulating across your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has lung issues, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the advantages so you can learn what’s correct 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 HVAC unit to treat your complete residence. Some models can clean independent when your home comfort unit isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the best filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic blend can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I do that on my own?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other steps to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores yourself, consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
- Run your air conditioner while indoors or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort system.
- Even out your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 512-937-2001 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right equipment for your family and budget.
