We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being inside comprises 90% of our days. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.

That’s since our residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy costs, it’s not so good if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants might worsen your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpeting, it might help purify the air circulating around 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 can also be appropriate if you or a loved one has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can learn what’s correct 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 with your home comfort system to clean your entire home. Some models can purify by themselves when your home comfort system isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Look for a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and provide the best 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 combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household smells.

Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA advises ozone could aggravate respiratory problems, even when released at low amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be purified more rapidly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that by myself?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
  2. Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do this work alone, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
  4. Turn on air conditioning while indoors or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC equipment.
  5. Even out your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for lowering 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

Ready to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 877-389-2465 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right system for your family and budget.