We spend a lot of time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building makes up 90% of our time. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.

That’s because our houses are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy expenses, it’s not so good if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get stuck. As a result, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to provide relief.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your couch or carpeting, it can help purify the air circulating throughout your home.

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 could also be useful if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, such as emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the distinctions so you can figure out what’s correct 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 HVAC system to purify your complete home. Some models can clean by themselves when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Seek a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more powerful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household smells.

Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could aggravate respiratory issues, even when emitted at low settings.

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

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

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other procedures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you must do this work alone, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
  4. Turn on air conditioning while at your house or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort equipment.
  5. Equalize your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Prepared to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 847-306-8990 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the best unit for your house and budget.