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

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

When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants might worsen your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpeting, it may help clean the air circulating across your residence.

And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be helpful if you or a family member has a lung condition, such as 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 figure out what’s right 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 works with your heating and cooling system to clean your full house. Some types can clean on their own when your HVAC unit isn’t on.

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 get, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at small concentrations.

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

  • What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher amount means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that on my own?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other procedures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do this work alone, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also bathe immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
  4. Use your air conditioner while at home or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling equipment.
  5. Even out your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Want to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 715-301-0727 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal unit for your home and budget.