If you’re in the market for an air purifier, you may be realizing that some kinds are making a lot of claims. And most of those claims could feel too good to be true. So, it’s only expected that you could be wondering are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re useful, according to the EPA, since they’re a great way to enhance your Wisconsin Rapids home’s indoor air quality. Today’s houses are securely sealed and heavily insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so good for indoor air quality.
Because modern houses don’t normally allow in as much outdoor air as older houses, irritants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate inside. The outcome? Air that’s dirtier than the outdoors, which is not good if you are dealing with allergies, asthma or are sensitive to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality pros at Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just call us at 715-301-0256 and we’ll be happy to help. Meanwhile, learn more about how air purifiers clean the air, their advantages and our recommendations to help you select the right air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Most home air purifiers rely on a fan to collect air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to collect contaminants before being redistributed.
These filters can incorporate 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 capturing miniscule particles as small as .3 microns, such as dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be movable and used to treat an individual room. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, providing effective filtration for your total home.
The EPA says it’s important to know that air purifiers can’t remove every contaminant from your house’s air. But when used along with a better filter for your HVAC system, they can greatly decrease the amount of indoor air pollution.
4 Advantages of an Air Purifier
Getting an air purifier for your home can deliver lots of good health pluses. Here are just a couple of them.
1. Alleviates Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers decrease pollutants in your house, like some of these standard triggers:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Mold
- Volatile organic compounds, including cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products
2. Lowers Other Problems Related to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your household doesn’t experience allergies or asthma, an air purifier can alleviate other troubles related to low indoor air quality. These include:
- Itchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be hard to distinguish symptoms related to indoor air quality, because they can be caused by many other illnesses. However, if you’re aware that you feel better after you leave your house, your indoor air quality is probably causing a problem.
3. Removes Odors
Lingering odors, such as cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tricky to eliminate. If you having issues with eliminating strong smells in your residence, our professionals advise buying an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. Can Decrease Your Probability of Getting Sick
An air purifier can inactivate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your family in good health particularly during colder months. To get full advantage of this benefit, our professionals advise a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light gives an additional layer of defense against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Skip
You’re better off without certain air purifiers. Here are a couple of features to stay away from when choosing a system for your house:
- Creates ozone. Some air purifiers make ozone, which can aggravate your lungs. The EPA advises staying away from 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 pure air, HEPA filters are used in the majority of healthcare settings, including hospitals.
- Only purifies an individual room. We recommend installing a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air in every room. This option runs in tandem with your heating and cooling system.
When you partner with the indoor air quality experts at Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc, we make it easy to select the best air purifier for your house. Give us a call at 715-301-0256 to begin breathing healthier air now!