If you’re looking for an air purifier, you may be finding that some manufacturers are producing lots of claims. And most of those claims might appear too good to be true. So, it’s only typical that you might be wondering are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re useful, according to the EPA, as they’re a fantastic approach to improve your Kutztown and Breinigsville residence’s indoor air quality. Today’s houses are tightly sealed and heavily insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so great for indoor air quality.
Because modern homes don’t naturally bring in as much outdoor air as old residences, contaminants like dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate in your home. The consequence? Air that’s more polluted than the outdoors, which is not good if you have allergies, asthma or are vulnerable to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality professionals at Moyer Total Indoor Comfort can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just contact us at 484-646-3363 and we’ll be happy to provide support. In the meantime, learn more about how air purifiers operate, their pluses and our advice to help you select the right air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Most home air purifiers rely on a fan to collect air. Then, the air passes through one or more filters to collect irritants before being recirculated.
These filters might incorporate a charcoal filter, to eliminate odors, and a HEPA, or high efficiency particulate air, filter. A HEPA filter is at least 99.7% effective at capturing tiny particles as little as .3 microns, like dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be portable and used to treat a single space. Or they can be added to your HVAC system, providing powerful filtration for your total house.
The EPA says you should know 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 Pluses of an Air Purifier
Adding an air purifier to your home can deliver lots of great health perks. Here are just a couple of them.
1. Decreases Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers reduce irritants in your residence, such as some of these standard triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, including cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Decreases Other Problems Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your home doesn’t have allergies or asthma, an air purifier can lower other symptoms associated with bad indoor air quality. These involve:
- Itchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be hard to determine symptoms related to indoor air quality, as they can be triggered by many other illnesses. However, if you’re aware that symptoms are better after you leave your residence, your indoor air quality is likely causing a problem.
3. Removes Odors
Odors that hang around, like cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be difficult to eliminate. If you having difficulties with getting rid of persistent smells in your house, we advise purchasing an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. May Lower Your Probability of Being Sick
An air purifier can remove some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your household healthier even more so during colder months. To get full advantage of this benefit, we advise a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light gives an additional layer of safeguard against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Stay Away From
You’re better off without certain air purifiers. Here are a couple of options to skip when choosing a system for your residence:
- Creates ozone. Some air purifiers produce ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA advises staying away from ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t have HEPA filters. For the best outcome, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Known as the gold standard for clean air, HEPA filters are used in the majority of healthcare settings, including hospitals.
- Only purifies one room. We advise getting a whole-house air purifier, which filters the air in every room. This option runs in tandem with your heating and cooling system.
When you work with the indoor air quality professionals at Moyer Total Indoor Comfort, we make it simple to choose the best air purifier for your residence. Give us a call at 484-646-3363 to get started breathing fresher air now!