If you’re in the market for an air purifier, you could be realizing that some kinds are making a lot of claims. And most of those claims could appear too good to be true. So, it’s only expected that you could be questioning are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re useful, according to the EPA, since they’re a fantastic approach to better your Rapid City house’s indoor air quality. Today’s houses are solidly sealed and deeply insulated, which is good for energy efficiency, but not so fantastic for indoor air quality.
As updated residences don’t typically let in as much fresh air as aging homes, pollutants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate indoors. The outcome? Air that’s more polluted than the outdoors, which is bad news if you have allergies, asthma or are susceptible to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality pros at Street Heating and Cooling can help you cut through the clutter and select the best home air purifier. Just give us a call at 605-206-3915 and we’ll be happy to assist you. Meanwhile, discover more about how air purifiers operate, their pluses and our recommendations to help you find the right air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Most home air purifiers use a fan to draw in air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to trap pollutants before being redistributed.
These filters can incorporate 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 microscopic particles as small as .3 microns, such as dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be compact and used to filter a single area. Or they can be fitted to your HVAC system, delivering strong filtration for your total house.
The EPA says it’s important to know that air purifiers can’t eliminate all the contaminants from your house’s air. But when used in combination with an improved filter for your HVAC system, they can greatly lower the concentration of indoor air pollution.
4 Perks of an Air Purifier
Installing an air purifier in your house can provide lots of good health perks. Here are just a few of them.
1. Decreases Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers decrease contaminants in your home, including some of these standard triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, including cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Alleviates Other Symptoms Related to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your household doesn’t struggle with allergies or asthma, an air purifier can decrease other troubles associated with poor indoor air quality. These involve:
- Scratchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be hard to distinguish symptoms related to indoor air quality, as they can be linked to lots of other illnesses. However, if you’re observing that symptoms lessen after you leave your residence, your indoor air quality is likely to blame.
3. Gets Rid of Odors
Odors that hang around, like cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be difficult to remove. If you having problems with removing heavy smells in your house, we recommend purchasing an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. Might Decrease Your Probability of Becoming Sick
An air purifier can inactivate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your household healthier even more so during winter months. To take complete advantage of this plus, our pros advise a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light provides an additional layer of defense against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Skip
You’re better off without some air purifiers. Here are several options to stay away from when picking a system for your house:
- Produces ozone. Some air purifiers create ozone, which can irritate your lungs. The EPA recommends skipping ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t have 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, like hospitals.
- Only purifies one room. We recommend installing a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air in every room. This option operates alongside your heating and cooling system.
When you call the indoor air quality experts at Street Heating and Cooling, we make it simple to choose the best air purifier for your residence. Contact us at 605-206-3915 to begin breathing fresher air today!