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

That’s due to the fact our houses are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility costs, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get stuck. As a result, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to help.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpet, it might help purify the air circulating throughout your residence.

And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be appropriate if you or a loved one has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the advantages 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 home comfort system to purify your full residence. 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 most comprehensive filtration you can find, 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 mighty blend can destroy 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 smells.

Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA warns ozone may worsen respiratory troubles, even when released at low amounts.

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

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

How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

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

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
  2. Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you are required to do these chores alone, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and change your clothes once you’re finished.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outside.
  4. Run air conditioning while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort equipment.
  5. Even out your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Ready to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 308-624-3485 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the best system for your home and budget.