We spend a lot of time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.

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

When outside ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.

You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpeting, it could help purify the air traveling across your home.

And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be helpful if you or someone in your household has lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.

There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions so you can determine what’s appropriate 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 works alongside your heating and cooling unit to clean your complete home. Some kinds can work by themselves when your HVAC equipment isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the best in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household odors.

Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may irritate respiratory issues, even when discharged at small amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to ask when purchasing an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better amount means air will be cleaned faster.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I complete that by myself?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

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

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can irritate symptoms. If you are required to do this work yourself, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
  4. Run air conditioning while at home or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort unit.
  5. Balance your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Ready to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 602-971-0567 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal system for your home and budget.