If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you may be noticing that some kinds are spouting many claims. And many of those claims might seem too good to be true. So, it’s only typical that you may be wondering are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re worth it, according to the EPA, because they’re an excellent approach to improve your Mission Viejo residence’s indoor air quality. Today’s houses are tightly sealed and heavily insulated, which is excellent for energy efficiency, but not so good for indoor air quality.
Since updated homes don’t naturally let in as much outside air as old residences, irritants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can build up indoors. The outcome? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is bad news if you struggle with allergies, asthma or are susceptible to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality pros at 1st Choice Heating & Air Conditioning can help you cut through the clutter and select the best home air purifier. Just contact us at 949-204-0859 and we’ll be happy to help. In the meantime, find out more about how air purifiers operate, their pluses and our recommendations to help you choose the ideal air purifier.
How Does an Air Purification System Improve Indoor Air Quality?
Most home air purifiers use a fan to pull in air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to trap pollutants before being sent out again.
These filters might have a charcoal filter, to remove odors, and a HEPA, or high efficiency particulate air, filter. A HEPA filter is at least 99.7% effective at catching miniscule particles as little as .3 microns, including dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be lightweight and used to purify an individual room. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, giving powerful filtration for your complete residence.
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 in tandem with an enhanced filter for your HVAC system, they can significantly decrease the level of indoor air pollution.
4 Benefits of an Air Purifier
Installing an air purifier in your residence can offer a lot of good health perks. Here are several of them.
1. Lowers Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers lower pollutants in your house, including some of these typical triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, including cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Lowers Other Problems Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your home doesn’t experience allergies or asthma, an air purifier can lower other troubles linked to poor indoor air quality. These entail:
- Dry throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be hard to distinguish issues related to indoor air quality, because they can be triggered by a lot of other illnesses. However, if you’re aware that symptoms lessen after you leave your residence, your indoor air quality is possibly causing the issue.
3. Removes Odors
Odors that hang around, such as cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tough to get rid of. If you having problems with eliminating strong smells in your house, we recommend getting an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. May Lower Your Likelihood of Getting Sick
An air purifier can inactivate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your family in better health even more so during colder months. To take complete advantage of this perk, our pros advise a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light gives an extra layer of safeguard against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Skip
You’re better off without certain air purifiers. Here are a couple of styles to stay away from when choosing a system for your home:
- Makes ozone. Some air purifiers create ozone, which can aggravate your lungs. The EPA suggests staying away from ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t include HEPA filters. For the best filtration, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Regarded as the gold standard for pure air, HEPA filters are used in the majority of healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
- Only purifies a single room. We recommend installing a whole-house air purifier, which filters the air across your home. This option runs alongside your home comfort system.
When you work with the indoor air quality experts at 1st Choice Heating & Air Conditioning, we make it simple to choose the best air purifier for your home. Reach us at 949-204-0859 to get started breathing fresher air right away!