We spend lots of time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building comprises 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.

That’s due to the fact our houses are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.

You can enhance your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpet, it can help purify the air circulating throughout your home.

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

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the distinctions so you can figure out what’s right for your home.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your home comfort unit to purify your complete home. Some models can clean on their own when your home comfort system 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 trap 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory troubles, even when emitted at low settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to consider when buying an air purifier.

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

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do these chores on your own, consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower right away and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
  4. Run air conditioning while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling unit.
  5. Equalize your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Prepared to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 203-772-8319 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right equipment for your home and budget.