We spend a lot of time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors makes up 90% of our days. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.

That’s due to the fact our homes are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy expenses, it’s not so good if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as 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 fresh air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpeting, it could help freshen the air traveling across your house.

And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be useful if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.

There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine 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 lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your heating and cooling unit to treat your complete home. Some kinds can purify on their own when your HVAC unit isn’t on.

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 offer the greatest filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might worsen respiratory issues, even when discharged at minor concentrations.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to think over when buying an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it remove?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that without help?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

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

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do these jobs yourself, consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside.
  4. Run the AC while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC unit.
  5. Equalize your house’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Prepared to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 561-533-6066 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the right unit for your residence and budget.