We spend a lot of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being inside comprises 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.

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

When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.

You can enhance your indoor air quality with fresh air and routine 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 settled on your couch or carpet, it may help purify the air traveling throughout your house.

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 might also be appropriate if you or a loved one has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can determine what’s right for your house.

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 heating and cooling unit to clean your complete home. Some types can clean independent when your home comfort 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 get, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more powerful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture can wipe out 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 vapors.

Avoid using an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could worsen respiratory issues, even when released at minor amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a listing of questions to ask when buying 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 better amount means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that on my own?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

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

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are heightened.
  2. Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can trigger symptoms. If you have to do these chores alone, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on new clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside.
  4. Use your air conditioner while indoors or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC equipment.
  5. Even out your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities

Prepared to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 717-383-4479 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the ideal unit for your house and budget.