We spend lots of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside comprises 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.

That’s since our homes are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling costs, 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) might get captured. As a result, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems 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 carpeting, it might help purify the air circulating around 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 can also be useful if you or a loved one has lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.

There are two kinds, 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 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 purify your entire house. Some kinds can work on their own when your heating and cooling unit isn’t operating.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and deliver the best filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful blend can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.

Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone might irritate respiratory issues, even when released at low amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to consider 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 better amount means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I complete that on my own?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

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

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you must do these jobs yourself, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
  4. Run your air conditioner while indoors or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC system.
  5. Equalize your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for lowering 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 Necessities

Ready to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 314-325-7552 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal unit for your home and budget.