If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you might be realizing that some manufacturers are making lots of claims. And some of those claims may seem too good to be true. So, it’s only natural that you may be wondering are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re useful, according to the EPA, because they’re an excellent method to enhance your Thousand Palms residence’s indoor air quality. Today’s residences are tightly sealed and deeply insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so excellent for indoor air quality.
Since updated houses don’t typically bring in as much outside air as older residences, contaminants such as dust, pet dander and cleaning products can build up inside. The outcome? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is a problem if you have allergies, asthma or are vulnerable to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality professionals at Marios Air Conditioning can help you cut through the clutter and find the best home air purifier. Just give us a call at 760-314-4766 and we’ll be happy to help. For now, discover more about how air purifiers work, their perks and our advice to help you select the best air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Improve Indoor Air Quality?
Most home air purifiers have a fan to collect air. Then, the air is pushed through one or more filters to collect pollutants before being recirculated.
These filters can include 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 filtering miniscule particles down to .3 microns, including dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be movable and used to filter a single room. Or they can be fitted to your HVAC system, delivering strong filtration for your total home.
The EPA says you should be aware 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 amount of indoor air pollution.
4 Advantages of an Air Purifier
Adding an air purifier to your house can offer many good health pluses. Here are several of them.
1. Reduces Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers lower contaminants in your home, such as some of these common triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, including cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Reduces Other Symptoms Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your household doesn’t experience allergies or asthma, an air purifier can lower other symptoms related to poor indoor air quality. These involve:
- Scratchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be tricky to determine issues linked to indoor air quality, because they can be linked to lots of other illnesses. However, if you’re observing that symptoms lessen after you leave home, your indoor air quality is possibly causing a problem.
3. Gets Rid of Odors
Lingering odors, including cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tough to get rid of. If you are having a hard time with removing strong smells in your house, we suggest purchasing an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. May Lower Your Chance of Becoming Sick
An air purifier can remove some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your household in good health especially during cold months. To receive total advantage of this plus, our pros recommend 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 a couple of features to skip when picking a system for your residence:
- Makes ozone. Some air purifiers make ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA advises avoiding ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t use 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 a single room. We recommend using a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air throughout your home. This style works alongside your home comfort system.
When you partner with the indoor air quality specialists at Marios Air Conditioning, we make it simple to choose the best air purifier for your residence. Contact us at 760-314-4766 to begin breathing healthier air right away!