We spend a good majority of our time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors makes up 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside.
That’s because our houses are firmly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your utility bills, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. As a result, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your furniture or flooring, it could help freshen the air traveling throughout your house.
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 may also be appropriate if you or a loved one has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the advantages so you can determine what’s correct for your residence.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling unit to treat your entire house. Some types can clean independently when your HVAC unit isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed 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 combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful blend can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary ingredient in smog. The EPA advises ozone may irritate respiratory issues, even when discharged at small concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to ask 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 better amount means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
- How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced? Can I do that without help?
- 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 equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other steps to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can worsen symptoms. If you must do this work on your own, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
- Run the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC equipment.
- Even out your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Ready to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our pros a call at 772-247-2283 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the right system for your needs and budget.