We spend a lot of time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors accounts for 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.

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

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

You can enhance your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or flooring, it could help freshen the air traveling throughout your house.

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 could also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can learn 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 heating and cooling unit to treat your complete house. Some types can work independent when your HVAC unit isn’t operating.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Seek a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and deliver the greatest filtration you can get, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.

Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA warns ozone could worsen respiratory issues, even when released at small settings.

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

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

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

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

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are heightened.
  2. Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you must do these chores 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 air conditioning while at home or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC unit.
  5. Even out your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Ready to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 956-630-3522 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best system for your house and budget.