We spend a lot of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building accounts for 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.
That’s since our houses are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to help.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your couch or carpet, it could help purify the air circulating throughout your residence.
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 can 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 go over the distinctions so you can determine what’s right for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your HVAC system to purify your entire house. Some kinds can work on their own when your HVAC unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can get, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA advises ozone could aggravate respiratory troubles, even when emitted at small 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 extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that without help?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other steps to limit your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do this work yourself, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on new clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
- Use your air conditioner while at home or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort system.
- Even out your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Prepared to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 540-636-3396 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal equipment for your family and budget.