If you’re in the market for an air purifier, you could be realizing that some manufacturers are producing a lot of claims. And many of those claims might feel too good to be true. So, it’s only typical that you could be thinking are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re worthwhile, according to the EPA, because they’re a fantastic approach to enhance your Lake Forest house’s indoor air quality. Newer residences are securely sealed and heavily insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so fantastic for indoor air quality.
As newer houses don’t typically bring in as much outside air as older houses, contaminants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can concentrate inside. The consequence? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is bad news if you are dealing with allergies, asthma or are vulnerable to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality professionals at 1st Choice Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. can help you cut through the clutter and select the best home air purifier. Just give us a call at 949-204-0859 and we’ll be happy to help. In the meantime, discover more about how air purifiers work, their benefits and our suggestions to help you select the best air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Most home air purifiers use a fan to pull in air. Then, the air is pushed through one or more filters to trap pollutants before being sent out again.
These filters might 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 miniscule particles as small as .3 microns, including dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be portable and used to purify a single space. Or they can be added to your HVAC system, providing effective filtration for your total home.
The EPA says you should know that air purifiers can’t eliminate all the contaminants from your home’s air. But when used along with an enhanced filter for your HVAC system, they can significantly decrease the level of indoor air pollution.
4 Perks of an Air Purifier
Installing an air purifier in your residence can give many great health benefits. Here are just a couple of them.
1. Decreases Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers lower contaminants in your home, such as some of these standard triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, including cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Reduces Other Problems Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your household doesn’t experience allergies or asthma, an air purifier can reduce other issues associated with bad indoor air quality. These entail:
- Scratchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be difficult to identify issues linked to indoor air quality, since they can be triggered by a lot of other illnesses. However, if you’re aware that you feel better after you leave home, your indoor air quality is possibly causing a problem.
3. Gets Rid of Odors
Persistent odors, such as cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tricky to eliminate. If you are having a hard time with eliminating heavy smells in your home, our professionals suggest purchasing an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. Can Reduce Your Probability of Becoming Sick
An air purifier can inactivate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your family healthier even more so during colder months. To get total advantage of this plus, we advise a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light gives an added layer of safeguard against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Avoid
You’re better off without certain air purifiers. Here are several styles to avoid when choosing a system for your house:
- Produces ozone. Some air purifiers create ozone, which can aggravate your lungs. The EPA recommends staying away from ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t include HEPA filters. For the best outcome, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Considered the gold standard for healthy air, HEPA filters are used in most healthcare settings, including hospitals.
- Only purifies an individual room. We suggest getting a whole-house air purifier, which filters the air across your home. This solution operates in tandem with your HVAC system.
When you work with the indoor air quality professionals at 1st Choice Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., we make it simple to choose the best air purifier for your residence. Give us a call at 949-204-0859 to get started breathing healthier air right away!