If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you might be realizing that some manufacturers are spouting a lot of claims. And most of those claims might appear too good to be true. So, it’s only typical that you could be thinking are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re useful, according to the EPA, since they’re a great method to enhance your Sandpoint residence’s indoor air quality. Newer homes are securely sealed and heavily insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so good for indoor air quality.
As newer residences don’t naturally let in as much outdoor air as older houses, pollutants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can concentrate inside. The result? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is bad news if you have allergies, asthma or are susceptible to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality pros at Age Heating & Cooling can help you cut through the clutter and select the best home air purifier. Just call us at 208-578-4258 and we’ll be happy to provide support. Meanwhile, learn more about how air purifiers work, their advantages and our advice to help you choose the best air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Most home air purifiers have a fan to draw in air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to collect contaminants before being recirculated.
These filters may have a charcoal filter, to get rid of odors, and a HEPA, or high efficiency particulate air, filter. A HEPA filter is at least 99.7% effective at capturing tiny particles down to .3 microns, like dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be compact and used to filter a single space. Or they can be added to your HVAC system, giving strong filtration for your entire residence.
The EPA says you should be aware that air purifiers can’t remove every contaminant from your house’s air. But when used along with an enhanced filter for your HVAC system, they can significantly reduce the concentration of indoor air pollution.
4 Benefits of an Air Purifier
Getting an air purifier for your house can offer many good health benefits. Here are several of them.
1. Alleviates Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers reduce pollutants in your house, including some of these common triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, like cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Alleviates Other Issues Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your residence doesn’t struggle with allergies or asthma, an air purifier can alleviate other issues associated with poor indoor air quality. These entail:
- Scratchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be difficult to distinguish issues associated with indoor air quality, because they can be caused by lots of other illnesses. However, if you’re noticing that symptoms are better after you leave home, your indoor air quality is possibly causing the issue.
3. Gets Rid of Odors
Persistent odors, including cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tricky to remove. If you having problems with removing persistent smells in your residence, we suggest buying an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. May Reduce Your Chance of Getting Sick
An air purifier can inactivate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your family in better health even more so during winter months. To receive complete advantage of this plus, our professionals recommend a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light gives an extra layer of safeguard against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Avoid
You’re better off without select air purifiers. Here are a couple of styles to avoid when choosing a system for your home:
- Produces ozone. Some air purifiers create ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA recommends staying away from ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t include HEPA filters. For the best filtration, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Considered the gold standard for healthy air, HEPA filters are used in most healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
- Only purifies a single room. We recommend using a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air throughout your home. This style works with your heating and cooling system.
When you partner with the indoor air quality professionals at Age Heating & Cooling, we make it easy to buy the best air purifier for your home. Reach us at 208-578-4258 to start breathing fresher air right away!