We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors accounts for 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.
That’s since our houses are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy expenses, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. Consequently, these pollutants may aggravate your allergies.
You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or flooring, it might help purify the air moving around 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 might also be appropriate if you or a loved one has lung trouble, like 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 learn what’s right for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your heating and cooling equipment to clean your entire residence. Some kinds can purify by themselves when your home comfort unit isn’t operating.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic blend can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.
Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may irritate respiratory problems, even when released at minor amounts.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to ask when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better amount means air will be purified more quickly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that on my own?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other steps to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you have to do this work alone, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
- Use the AC while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling unit.
- Even out your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs
Prepared to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 308-995-8177 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the right equipment for your family and budget.
