We spend lots of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building makes up 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.

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

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

You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or flooring, it could help freshen the air circulating across your residence.

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

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the differences so you can figure out what’s correct for your residence.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort system to purify your full home. Some models can work by themselves when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, 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 mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household smells.

Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone could aggravate respiratory problems, even when released at small settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to ask when purchasing an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better number means air will be purified more quickly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that by myself?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other procedures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are heightened.
  2. Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can worsen symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs alone, consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
  4. Turn on your air conditioner while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC system.
  5. Balance your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities

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