We spend a lot of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors accounts for 90% of our days. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.

That’s because our residences are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy expenses, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants can aggravate your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to help.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your couch or carpet, it might help purify the air circulating throughout your home.

And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be helpful if you or a loved one has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.

There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the distinctions so you can determine 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 alongside your heating and cooling system to clean your complete house. Some types can work by themselves when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t operating.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, 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 mighty combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general 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 makes ozone, which is the primary element in smog. The EPA warns ozone could worsen respiratory issues, even when emitted at minor concentrations.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to ask when getting 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 higher figure means air will be freshened more quickly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that without help?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other steps to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can trigger symptoms. If you have to do this work alone, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower right away and put on new clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside.
  4. Turn on air conditioning while at home or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort equipment.
  5. Equalize your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Want to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 937-558-9478 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the best equipment for your residence and budget.