We spend a lot of time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building accounts for 90% of our days. Although, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.

That’s since our residences are securely sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy costs, it’s not so great if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoors ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants can aggravate your allergies.

You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to help.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpeting, it could help freshen the air circulating throughout your house.

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

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over 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 one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling system to purify your full home. Some kinds can work on their own when your heating and cooling system 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 provide the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.

Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory issues, even when discharged at low settings.

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

  • What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be purified faster.)
  • How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that without help?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other measures to reduce your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are heightened.
  2. Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
  4. Use the AC while indoors or while in the car. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC unit.
  5. Balance your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for lowering 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 Necessities

Want to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 775-230-7628 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the right equipment for your residence and budget.