We spend a lot of time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building comprises 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.

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

When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get captured. As a result, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to help.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your couch or carpet, it may help freshen the air moving around your house.

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 appropriate if you or a family member has lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences 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 single room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC unit to treat your complete house. Some models can purify independent when your HVAC equipment isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

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

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

Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone could worsen respiratory issues, even when released at low concentrations.

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

  • What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better number means air will be cleaned faster.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I finish that without help?
  • How much do new filters or bulbs cost?

How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other steps to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
  2. Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can worsen symptoms. If you have to do this work yourself, consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
  4. Use your air conditioner while at home or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort system.
  5. Balance your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities

Prepared to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 561-287-7071 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the right system for your residence and budget.