We spend a lot of time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside accounts for 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.
That’s due to the fact our residences are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. As a result, these pollutants could worsen your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to provide relief.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or flooring, it may help freshen the air circulating throughout 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 might also be appropriate if you or a loved one has a lung condition, such as 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 residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your heating and cooling equipment to treat your full residence. Some kinds can clean independently when your home comfort equipment isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a purifier 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 combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic blend can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the best in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to take care of household smells.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could worsen respiratory symptoms, even when emitted at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to think over when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I complete that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the top performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other measures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can worsen symptoms. If you must do these jobs alone, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Run air conditioning while at your house or while in the car. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling equipment.
- Equalize your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Prepared to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 201-268-5663 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal unit for your residence and budget.