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

That’s since our homes are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoors ventilation is limited, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get captured. Consequently, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or carpet, it might help freshen the air circulating throughout your house.

And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be useful if you or a loved one has lung trouble, 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 figure out what’s correct for your house.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for a single room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC unit to purify your full residence. Some types can clean by themselves when your HVAC system 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 most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household smells.

Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA warns ozone could aggravate respiratory troubles, even when released at small settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to ask when purchasing 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 bigger amount means air will be purified faster.)
  • How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I do that on my own?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other steps to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can irritate symptoms. If you have to do these chores yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
  4. Run air conditioning while indoors or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling equipment.
  5. Equalize your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Ready to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 662-269-8716 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best unit for your home and budget.