We spend a lot of time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside accounts for 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.

That’s because our residences are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants may aggravate 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 during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to help.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpet, it could help freshen the air moving throughout 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 may also be useful if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions so you can learn what’s right 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 accompanies your home comfort unit to clean your complete residence. Some types can clean independent when your HVAC unit isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might worsen respiratory problems, even when released at low amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to consider 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 bigger amount means air will be freshened more quickly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that by myself?
  • How much do new 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 recommends taking other steps to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can irritate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs yourself, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and change your clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
  4. Use air conditioning while at home or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC unit.
  5. Even out your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Prepared to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 519-296-4437 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best equipment for your house and budget.