We spend a lot of time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our days. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.

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

When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get trapped. As a result, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.

You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or flooring, it can help freshen the air moving around your home.

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 can also be useful if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, like 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 determine 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 works alongside your HVAC system to clean your full house. Some types can work independent when your HVAC unit isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can buy, as they trap 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 wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.

Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory troubles, even when discharged at minor concentrations.

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

  • What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher number means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that without help?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other procedures to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do this work yourself, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and change your clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside.
  4. Turn on air conditioning while indoors or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort unit.
  5. Equalize your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities

Ready to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 402-628-0206 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right equipment for your house and budget.