We spend a good majority of our time inside. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors accounts for 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.

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) could get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpeting, it may help purify the air traveling across your residence.

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 could 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 examine the advantages so you can figure out what’s correct for your home.

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 home comfort unit to purify your complete residence. Some models can work by themselves when your HVAC equipment isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the most comprehensive filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at minor settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to ask when purchasing an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be freshened faster.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I do that on my own?
  • 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 suggests completing other procedures to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have other family members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you must do these jobs yourself, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also bathe right away and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
  4. Use air conditioning while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC unit.
  5. Equalize your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Want to progress with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 308-995-8177 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right unit for your residence and budget.