We spend a lot of time in our homes. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside accounts for 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.

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

When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants may irritate your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with clean air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier could be able to help.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furniture or carpet, it could help purify the air traveling throughout your home.

And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be appropriate if you or a family member has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can learn what’s appropriate for your home.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC system to purify your complete house. Some models can work independent when your HVAC system isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty blend can eliminate 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 decrease household odors.

Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA warns ozone may aggravate respiratory troubles, even when released at minor settings.

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

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

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests 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 elevated.
  2. Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these chores yourself, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and change your clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
  4. Run your air conditioner while indoors or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC unit.
  5. Even out 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 house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Want to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 816-249-1619 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal unit for your family and budget.