We spend a lot of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors comprises 90% of our days. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.

That’s due to the fact our houses are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy expenses, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

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

You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpeting, it might help clean the air circulating across your house.

And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might 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 determine what’s appropriate 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 accompanies your heating and cooling unit to clean your complete home. Some kinds can purify independent when your home comfort system isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can buy, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone may aggravate respiratory issues, even when discharged at minor concentrations.

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

  • What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher figure means air will be cleaned faster.)
  • How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that without help?
  • How much do replacement 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 recommends doing other procedures to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
  4. Use your air conditioner while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC unit.
  5. Equalize your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Prepared to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 954-320-7398 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal unit for your house and budget.