If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you might be noticing that some manufacturers are spouting many claims. And most of those claims might feel too good to be true. So, it’s only natural that you may be wondering are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re useful, according to the EPA, since they’re a fantastic approach to enhance your Dresden house’s indoor air quality. Today’s residences are securely sealed and deeply insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so excellent for indoor air quality.
As modern residences don’t normally let in as much fresh air as older houses, contaminants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate inside. The outcome? Air that’s more polluted than the outdoors, which is a problem if you have allergies, asthma or are vulnerable to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality pros at McFadden Heating & Cooling can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just contact us at 519-683-2339 and we’ll be happy to help. In the meantime, learn more about how air purifiers operate, their pluses and our advice to help you choose the right air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Improve Indoor Air Quality?
Most home air purifiers have a fan to collect air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to collect irritants 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 catching microscopic particles as little as .3 microns, such as dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be lightweight and used to treat a single room. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, giving powerful filtration for your complete home.
The EPA says it’s important to know that air purifiers can’t eliminate 100% of the contaminants from your home’s air. But when used along with a better filter for your HVAC system, they can significantly lower the level of indoor air pollution.
4 Perks of an Air Purifier
Adding an air purifier to your home can deliver a lot of good health pluses. Here are just a couple of them.
1. Decreases Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers decrease pollutants in your house, like some of these typical triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, like cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Reduces Other Symptoms Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your household doesn’t struggle with allergies or asthma, an air purifier can reduce other symptoms related to low indoor air quality. These include:
- Dry throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be hard to determine troubles related to indoor air quality, since they can be triggered by lots of other illnesses. However, if you’re aware that symptoms lessen after you leave your house, your indoor air quality is probably causing a problem.
3. Eliminates Odors
Persistent odors, like cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be difficult to get rid of. If you are having a hard time with getting rid of persistent smells in your house, our professionals advise getting an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. Might Lower Your Chance of Getting Sick
An air purifier can remove some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your household in good health particularly during cold months. To get total advantage of this perk, our pros recommend a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light delivers an extra layer of safeguard against airborne pathogens.
Air Purification Systems to Avoid
You’re better off without certain air purifiers. Here are a few styles to stay away from when choosing a system for your residence:
- Produces ozone. Some air purifiers make ozone, which can aggravate your lungs. The EPA suggests avoiding ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t have HEPA filters. For the best results, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Regarded as the gold standard for clean air, HEPA filters are used in the majority of healthcare settings, like hospitals.
- Only purifies one room. We suggest using a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air in every room. This solution works in tandem with your HVAC system.
When you partner with the indoor air quality experts at McFadden Heating & Cooling, we make it easy to buy the best air purifier for your home. Contact us at 519-683-2339 to start breathing fresher air now!