We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s because our residences are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy expenses, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpet, it can help purify the air traveling throughout your residence.
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 might also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can determine what’s appropriate for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling system to clean your full residence. Some types can purify by themselves when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t operating.
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 deliver the greatest filtration you can buy, 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 powerful combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might aggravate respiratory problems, even when discharged at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to consider 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 purified more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I complete that without help?
- 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 equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests completing other measures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these jobs yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Use the AC while at home or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort system.
- Balance your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 760-314-4766 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal equipment for your residence and budget.