If you’re in the market for an air purifier, you may be finding that some kinds are spouting many claims. And many of those claims may feel too good to be true. So, it’s only typical that you may be thinking are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re worth it, according to the EPA, because they’re a fantastic method to enhance your Lexington residence’s indoor air quality. Today’s residences are securely sealed and thoroughly insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so excellent for indoor air quality.
As newer residences don’t naturally allow in as much outside air as aging homes, irritants such as dust, pet dander and cleaning products can concentrate in your home. The result? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is a problem if you struggle with allergies, asthma or are sensitive to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality specialists at James Heating & A/C, Inc can help you cut through the clutter and select the best home air purifier. Just give us a call at 336-853-6070 and we’ll be happy to provide support. For now, discover more about how air purifiers operate, their benefits and our advice to help you find the best air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Most home air purifiers have a fan to draw in air. Then, the air is pushed through one or more filters to catch pollutants before being recirculated.
These filters might include 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 filtering microscopic particles as little as .3 microns, including dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be compact and used to filter an individual space. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, delivering effective filtration for your complete residence.
The EPA says you should know that air purifiers can’t get rid of every contaminant from your house’s air. But when used in tandem with an improved filter for your HVAC system, they can significantly lower the concentration of indoor air pollution.
4 Advantages of an Air Purifier
Installing an air purifier in your home can provide many outstanding health perks. Here are just a few of them.
1. Lowers Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers lower contaminants in your residence, like some of these typical triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, such as cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Reduces Other Symptoms Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your home doesn’t struggle with allergies or asthma, an air purifier can decrease other troubles associated with bad indoor air quality. These entail:
- Scratchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be tricky to determine symptoms related to indoor air quality, as they can be triggered by lots of other illnesses. However, if you’re observing that you feel better after you leave your residence, your indoor air quality is likely causing a problem.
3. Gets Rid of Odors
Lingering odors, including cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tough to remove. If you having issues with eliminating persistent smells in your house, our professionals advise purchasing an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. Can Lower Your Chance of Being Sick
An air purifier can inactivate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your loved ones in good health even more so during colder months. To get full advantage of this perk, we advise a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light provides an extra layer of safeguard against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Avoid
You’re better off without certain air purifiers. Here are a couple of options to stay away from when selecting a system for your residence:
- Creates ozone. Some air purifiers create ozone, which can aggravate your lungs. The EPA recommends skipping ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t use HEPA filters. For the best outcome, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Regarded as the gold standard for clean air, HEPA filters are used in most healthcare settings, like hospitals.
- Only purifies a single room. We recommend getting a whole-house air purifier, which filters the air in every room. This style runs with your HVAC system.
When you partner with the indoor air quality experts at James Heating & A/C, Inc, we make it uncomplicated to choose the best air purifier for your house. Contact us at 336-853-6070 to start breathing cleaner air now!