We spend lots of time inside. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside comprises 90% of our days. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.

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

When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get captured. Consequently, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at your residence, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your couch or flooring, it may help purify the air circulating throughout your home.

And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be helpful if you or a family member has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can figure out 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 works alongside your heating and cooling unit to treat your complete home. Some models can work independent when your home comfort system 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 placed in hospitals and deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone could worsen respiratory problems, even when emitted at low settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made 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 bigger figure means air will be purified more quickly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that without help?
  • 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 system? The Mayo Clinic recommends taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you are required to do this work on your own, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower right away and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
  4. Run air conditioning while at home or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC unit.
  5. Even out your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities

Want to take the next step with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 512-355-1482 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the right system for your residence and budget.