If you’re in the market for an air purifier, you might be finding that some manufacturers are producing lots of claims. And many of those claims might appear too good to be true. So, it’s only natural that you might be wondering are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re worthwhile, according to the EPA, because they’re a fantastic method to better your Phoenix house’s indoor air quality. Today’s residences are securely sealed and thoroughly insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so good for indoor air quality.
As updated homes don’t typically allow in as much fresh air as aging houses, irritants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate indoors. The result? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is bad news if you are dealing with allergies, asthma or are sensitive to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality pros at Integrity AC & Heating LLC can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just give us a call at 602-971-0567 and we’ll be happy to help. Meanwhile, find out more about how air purifiers clean the air, their pluses and our advice to help you select the right air purifier.
How Does an Air Purification System Improve Indoor Air Quality?
Most home air purifiers rely on a fan to pull in air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to trap contaminants before being recirculated.
These filters can 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 down to .3 microns, such as dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be lightweight and used to filter a single room. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, delivering strong filtration for your entire home.
The EPA says you should be aware that air purifiers can’t get rid of every contaminant from your house’s air. But when used along with an enhanced filter for your HVAC system, they can greatly reduce the amount of indoor air pollution.
4 Benefits of Air Purification
Adding an air purifier to your house can give a lot of great health pluses. Here are just a couple of them.
1. Reduces Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers decrease irritants in your residence, including some of these common triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, like cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Reduces Other Issues Associated with 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 involve:
- Scratchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be tricky to distinguish issues associated with indoor air quality, because they can be caused by a lot of other illnesses. However, if you’re aware that symptoms lessen after you leave home, your indoor air quality is possibly causing a problem.
3. Removes Odors
Odors that hang around, including cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tough to eliminate. If you having problems with eliminating persistent smells in your house, our pros advise buying an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. May Reduce Your Chance of Being Sick
An air purifier can eliminate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your loved ones in good health even more so during winter months. To receive total advantage of this perk, our pros advise a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light gives an extra layer of protection against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Skip
You’re better off without some air purifiers. Here are several features to avoid when choosing a system for your home:
- Produces ozone. Some air purifiers produce ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA suggests skipping ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t include HEPA filters. For the best filtration, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Known as the gold standard for clean air, HEPA filters are used in the majority of healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
- Only purifies one room. We advise using a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air throughout your home. This option works with your home comfort system.
When you partner with the indoor air quality specialists at Integrity AC & Heating LLC, we make it simple to choose the best air purifier for your house. Give us a call at 602-971-0567 to start breathing healthier air now!