We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building accounts for 90% of our schedule. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.

That’s due to the fact our houses are firmly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your energy costs, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

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

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

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your couch or carpet, it can help clean the air circulating around your house.

And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be useful if you or a family member has a lung condition, such as emphysema or COPD.

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the distinctions so you can determine what’s appropriate 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 works with your HVAC system to purify your full house. Some models can purify on their own when your HVAC equipment isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and deliver the greatest filtration you can find, 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 mighty mixture can destroy dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household odors.

Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might aggravate respiratory problems, even when emitted at low settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to think over when purchasing an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better number means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I do that on my own?
  • How much do new filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

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

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can irritate symptoms. If you have to do these chores alone, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and change your clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
  4. Run the AC while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling system.
  5. Balance your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Ready to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 720-613-2210 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best unit for your family and budget.