We spend lots of time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors makes up 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.

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

When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to help.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or flooring, it could help purify the air moving across your house.

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

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

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC equipment to treat your full residence. Some types can purify on their own when your HVAC 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 installed in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might worsen respiratory problems, even when emitted at minor amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to consider when getting an air purifier.

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

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other measures to limit your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can irritate symptoms. If you have to do these chores on your own, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe immediately and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
  4. Run air conditioning while at your house or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort equipment.
  5. Balance your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Prepared to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 308-624-3485 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal equipment for your family and budget.