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

That’s due to the fact our houses are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy costs, it’s not so great if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. Consequently, these pollutants may aggravate your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and routine cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpet, it might help freshen the air circulating around your house.

And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be useful if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can determine what’s appropriate for your residence.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your heating and cooling unit to clean your full home. Some models can purify on their own when your HVAC unit isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Seek a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to reduce household vapors.

Avoid getting an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might worsen respiratory troubles, even when discharged at small amounts.

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

  • What can this purifier extract 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 often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that on my own?
  • How much do replacement 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 advises taking other measures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs yourself, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
  4. Use the AC while indoors or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC system.
  5. Equalize your home’s humidity levels 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 Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Prepared to move forward with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 805-242-9638 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best system for your house and budget.