We spend a lot of time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building comprises 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.
That’s because our residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. As a result, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furniture or flooring, it might help clean the air moving throughout 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 may also be useful if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences 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 single room. A whole-house air purifier works with your home comfort equipment to clean your entire home. Some types can purify by themselves when your home comfort system isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could irritate respiratory issues, even when released at low amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to ask when purchasing 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 higher figure means air will be freshened faster.)
- How often 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 Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other procedures to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
- Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can trigger symptoms. If you have to do this work on your own, consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and change your clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Turn on the AC while indoors or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling system.
- Balance your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities
Prepared to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 785-269-0465 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right unit for your home and budget.