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

That’s due to the fact our residences are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants may worsen your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at your house, an air purifier might be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your couch or flooring, it can help freshen the air traveling around 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 can also be helpful if you or a family member has lung trouble, including emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the distinctions 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 one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort system to clean your entire home. Some models can work on their own when your HVAC equipment isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Look for a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can get, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA advises ozone might worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at low settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a listing of questions to think over when getting 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 number 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 get the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other procedures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these chores yourself, you may want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and change your clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
  4. Run air conditioning while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC system.
  5. Even out your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities

Ready to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 204-272-8128 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal equipment for your home and budget.