If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you may be noticing that some brands are spouting a lot of claims. And most of those claims may feel too good to be true. So, it’s only natural that you may be questioning are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re worthwhile, according to the EPA, as they’re a great way to enhance your Albuquerque house’s indoor air quality. Today’s residences are tightly sealed and heavily insulated, which is excellent for energy efficiency, but not so good for indoor air quality.
As newer homes don’t normally let in as much outside air as aging houses, contaminants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate indoors. The result? Air that’s dirtier than the outdoors, which is a problem if you are dealing with allergies, asthma or are vulnerable to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality professionals at I-Deal HVAC can help you cut through the clutter and select the best home air purifier. Just call us at 505-445-1250 and we’ll be happy to provide support. For now, find out more about how air purifiers operate, their advantages and our advice to help you choose the ideal air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Most home air purifiers have a fan to pull in air. Then, the air is pushed through one or more filters to trap irritants before being recirculated.
These filters may include 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 filtering tiny particles as small as .3 microns, like dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be portable and used to purify one area. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, giving powerful filtration for your complete house.
The EPA says it’s important to know that air purifiers can’t eliminate all the contaminants from your home’s air. But when used in tandem with a better filter for your HVAC system, they can considerably decrease the concentration of indoor air pollution.
4 Benefits of an Air Purifier
Adding an air purifier to your residence can give lots of outstanding health advantages. Here are just a couple of them.
1. Lowers Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers reduce contaminants in your house, such as some of these typical triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, such as cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Alleviates Other Problems Related to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your home doesn’t experience allergies or asthma, an air purifier can reduce other symptoms linked to bad indoor air quality. These entail:
- Scratchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be hard to determine symptoms linked to indoor air quality, because they can be triggered by a lot of other illnesses. However, if you’re noticing that symptoms lessen after you leave home, your indoor air quality is likely to blame.
3. Removes Odors
Lingering odors, including cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be difficult to get rid of. If you having issues with removing strong smells in your house, our pros suggest buying an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. Might Decrease Your Chance of Becoming Sick
An air purifier can eliminate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your household healthier especially during cold months. To get complete advantage of this benefit, our pros suggest a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light provides an added layer of defense against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Skip
You’re better off without some air purifiers. Here are several options to skip when choosing a system for your house:
- Creates ozone. Some air purifiers produce ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA advises avoiding ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t have HEPA filters. For the best results, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Considered the gold standard for clean air, HEPA filters are used in many healthcare settings, like hospitals.
- Only purifies a single room. We advise getting a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air throughout your home. This style runs alongside your home comfort system.
When you partner with the indoor air quality specialists at I-Deal HVAC, we make it uncomplicated to buy the best air purifier for your house. Reach us at 505-445-1250 to start breathing fresher air now!