We spend lots of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building comprises 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.
That’s because our houses are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy expenses, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants may aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpeting, it may help freshen the air moving across your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be useful 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 go over the differences so you can learn what’s correct for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort equipment to clean your entire residence. Some types can clean independently when your heating and cooling unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and provide the best filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.
Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory problems, even when emitted at small amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to think over when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed? Can I complete that by myself?
- How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the most excellent outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other measures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
- Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores alone, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
- Run the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider installing a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort equipment.
- Balance your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Ready to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 717-383-4479 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best system for your needs and budget.