We spend a lot of time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors accounts for 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s because our residences are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to provide relief.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpet, it might help freshen the air circulating throughout your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be helpful if you or a loved one has lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the differences so you can determine what’s appropriate for your home.
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 home comfort unit to clean your entire residence. Some models can clean by themselves when your home comfort unit isn’t on.
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 offer the greatest filtration you can buy, as they remove 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more effective when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.
Avoid purchasing an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone could irritate respiratory problems, even when discharged at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to think over when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher figure means air will be freshened more quickly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed? Can I finish that on my own?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the most excellent performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other steps to limit your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can trigger symptoms. If you have to do this work alone, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Run your air conditioner while at home or while in the car. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort system.
- Balance your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Want to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 410-228-4822 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best system for your house and budget.