If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you may be realizing that some brands are producing a lot of claims. And many of those claims might seem too good to be true. So, it’s only expected that you might be questioning are air purifiers a waste of money.
They’re worthwhile, according to the EPA, since they’re a great method to better your Manassas residence’s indoor air quality. Newer houses are solidly sealed and deeply insulated, which is good for energy efficiency, but not so excellent for indoor air quality.
Since updated residences don’t normally allow in as much fresh air as old residences, pollutants like dust, pet dander and cleaning products can concentrate indoors. The outcome? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is bad news if you have allergies, asthma or are sensitive to respiratory irritation.
Our indoor air quality specialists at Air-Right Energy Design, Inc. can help you cut through the clutter and find the best home air purifier. Just call us at 703-260-1148 and we’ll be happy to provide support. Meanwhile, learn more about how air purifiers work, their benefits and our suggestions to help you find the ideal air purifier.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Most home air purifiers have a fan to draw in air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to catch contaminants before being sent out again.
These filters can 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 capturing miniscule particles as small as .3 microns, such as dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.
An air purifier can be lightweight and used to filter a single area. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, delivering effective filtration for your entire residence.
The EPA says it’s important to know that air purifiers can’t remove every contaminant from your home’s air. But when used in combination with a better filter for your HVAC system, they can significantly lower the level of indoor air pollution.
4 Benefits of an Air Purifier
Adding an air purifier to your home can deliver lots of great health perks. Here are several of them.
1. Reduces Allergy and Asthma Triggers
Air purifiers reduce 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. Alleviates Other Symptoms Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality
Even if you or someone in your home doesn’t have allergies or asthma, an air purifier can alleviate other symptoms related to poor indoor air quality. These include:
- Itchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
- Headaches
- Sneezing and coughing
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
It can be hard to identify issues associated with indoor air quality, since they can be caused by lots of other illnesses. However, if you’re aware that symptoms lessen after you leave your house, your indoor air quality is possibly to blame.
3. Removes Odors
Odors that hang around, including cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tough to eliminate. If you having difficulties with removing strong smells in your residence, our professionals advise buying an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.
4. Might Lower Your Chance of Becoming Sick
An air purifier can eliminate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your loved ones in better health even more so during cold months. To take full advantage of this plus, our professionals recommend a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light gives an extra layer of defense against airborne pathogens.
Air Purifiers to Stay Away From
You’re better off without select air purifiers. Here are a couple of styles to skip when picking a system for your house:
- Produces ozone. Some air purifiers make ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA suggests staying away from ozone air purifiers.
- Doesn’t have HEPA filters. For the best results, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Known as the gold standard for healthy air, HEPA filters are used in most healthcare settings, like hospitals.
- Only purifies an individual room. We recommend installing a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air throughout your home. This option operates in tandem with your heating and cooling system.
When you call the indoor air quality experts at Air-Right Energy Design, Inc., we make it easy to buy the best air purifier for your house. Give us a call at 703-260-1148 to get started breathing cleaner air now!