We spend a lot of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s because our homes are tightly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy expenses, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your couch or flooring, it might help freshen the air traveling across your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences so you can determine what’s correct for your house.
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 system to treat your entire residence. Some models can clean on their own when your heating and cooling system isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone could worsen respiratory troubles, even when emitted at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better number means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
- How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched? Can I complete that without help?
- How much do spare 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 suggests doing other steps to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores alone, consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and change your clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid hanging laundry outside.
- Run the AC while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling system.
- Equalize your home’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, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Ready to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 308-321-4703 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal system for your home and budget.