We spend a good majority of our time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors accounts for 90% of our days. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s since our houses are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or flooring, it may help purify the air traveling around your home.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be helpful if you or a family member has lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can figure out 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 works with your HVAC system to treat your full house. Some types can work independently when your heating and cooling unit isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid purchasing an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might aggravate respiratory problems, even when released at low settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a listing of questions to consider 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 number means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I finish that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the best results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other steps to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs alone, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Use air conditioning while at your house or while in the car. Consider adding a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort equipment.
- Even out your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 503-213-4433 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your family and budget.