We spend lots of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors accounts for 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.

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

When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to help.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpeting, it may help purify the air traveling throughout 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 helpful if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the differences so you can learn 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 accompanies your HVAC unit to treat your entire home. Some kinds can work independent when your heating and cooling equipment 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 eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic blend can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.

Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could worsen respiratory troubles, even when emitted at minor amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to think over when purchasing an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger figure means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I complete that on my own?
  • 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 advises taking other steps to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can irritate symptoms. If you must do these jobs yourself, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on new clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
  4. Run your air conditioner while at your house or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling equipment.
  5. Equalize your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Want to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 432-237-0168 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best unit for your family and budget.