April 10, 2020
We spend a lot of time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being inside comprises 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside.
That’s due to the fact our houses are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get trapped. As a result, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.
You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or flooring, it may help clean the air circulating around your residence.
And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.
There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can learn what’s correct for your home.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your heating and cooling equipment to treat your full residence. Some models can clean by themselves when your heating and cooling system isn’t operating
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can get, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.
Avoid purchasing an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone can irritate respiratory problems, even when emitted at small settings.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to consider when buying 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 better number means air will be purified faster.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do new filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to have the most excellent performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other procedures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
- Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do this work yourself, consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
- Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
- Use your air conditioner while at your house or while in the car. Consider using a high-efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling system.
- Even out your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Prepared to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 317-406-5382 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the right system for your needs and budget.