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

That’s because our homes are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

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

You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to help.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpet, it can help clean the air moving throughout your home.

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 useful if you or someone in your household has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, 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 a lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your heating and cooling equipment to treat your entire home. Some types can work independent when your HVAC unit isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can get, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might irritate respiratory troubles, even when discharged at minor amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to ask when buying 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 higher amount means air will be purified faster.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that by myself?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other steps to limit your exposure to things that can trigger 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 irritate symptoms. If you have to do these jobs on your own, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe right away and change your clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
  4. Run the AC while indoors or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort equipment.
  5. Balance your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Ready to take the next step with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 254-355-3833 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the right system for your home and budget.