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

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

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

You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpeting, it can help freshen the air circulating throughout your home.

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 can also be helpful if you or a family member has a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the distinctions so you can learn 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 HVAC system to clean your complete home. Some types can purify independent when your home comfort unit isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Look for a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can buy, 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 dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household odors.

Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA advises ozone might worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at low concentrations.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to consider when buying 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 bigger amount means air will be cleaned faster.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that by myself?
  • How much do new filters or bulbs cost?

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other measures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay indoors 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 irritate symptoms. If you have to do these jobs alone, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
  4. Use air conditioning while indoors or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort equipment.
  5. Even out your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Prepared to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 361-265-4371 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the best unit for your home and budget.