We spend lots of time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors accounts for 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.

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

When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants may aggravate your allergies.

You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.

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

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 can also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the advantages so you can determine what’s appropriate for your house.

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 system to treat your full house. Some kinds can purify independent when your home comfort equipment isn’t operating.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

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

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

Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the primary ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone may aggravate respiratory problems, even when discharged at small amounts.

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

  • What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better amount means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that on my own?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other measures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can worsen symptoms. If you must do these chores yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and change your clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside.
  4. Turn on air conditioning while indoors or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling unit.
  5. Balance your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Prepared to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 276-302-0076 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right unit for your family and budget.