We spend a lot of time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.

That’s because our houses are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy expenses, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. As a result, these pollutants could worsen your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpet, it could help clean the air moving around your residence.

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 someone in your household has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.

There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can determine what’s right for your home.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works with your home comfort system to clean your full home. Some models can clean on their own 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 used in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone may aggravate respiratory troubles, even when discharged at small amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to think over when getting an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher amount means air will be purified more quickly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that without help?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other measures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do this work on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe right away and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
  4. Run the AC while at home or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort unit.
  5. Even out your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Ready to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 254-307-9572 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right unit for your house and budget.