If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you may be finding that some brands are making many claims. And some of those claims might appear too good to be true. So, it’s only natural that you may be questioning are air purifiers a waste of money.

They’re useful, according to the EPA, since they’re an excellent method to enhance your Marshfield home’s indoor air quality. Modern homes are securely sealed and thoroughly insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so good for indoor air quality.

Since modern homes don’t naturally bring in as much fresh air as older houses, irritants like dust, pet dander and cleaning products can build up inside. The result? Air that’s dirtier than the outdoors, which is a problem if you have allergies, asthma or are vulnerable to respiratory irritation.

Our indoor air quality pros at House of Heating Incorporated can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just contact us at 715-384-3163 and we’ll be happy to provide support. In the meantime, find out more about how air purifiers clean the air, their pluses and our recommendations to help you select the right 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 collect contaminants before being sent out again.

These filters may incorporate 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 as little as .3 microns, like dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.

An air purifier can be compact and used to filter a single room. Or they can be fitted to your HVAC system, giving powerful filtration for your complete house.

The EPA says you should know that air purifiers can’t get rid of all the contaminants from your house’s air. But when used in combination with an improved filter for your HVAC system, they can considerably reduce the amount of indoor air pollution.

4 Benefits of an Air Purifier

Adding an air purifier to your home can offer lots of good health pluses. Here are just a few of them.

1. Lowers Allergy and Asthma Triggers

Air purifiers lower contaminants in your residence, like some of these common triggers:

  • Dust
  • Pollen
  • Mold
  • Volatile organic compounds, like cleaners, air fresheners and personal care products

2. Reduces Other Symptoms 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 troubles associated with low indoor air quality. These involve:

  • Itchy throat, eyes, nose or skin
  • Headaches
  • Sneezing and coughing
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea

It can be hard to determine troubles associated with indoor air quality, since they can be linked to a lot of other illnesses. However, if you’re noticing that symptoms are better after you leave your house, your indoor air quality is likely causing a problem.

3. Gets Rid of Odors

Odors that hang around, such as cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tough to eliminate. If you are having a hard time with removing heavy smells in your residence, our pros advise purchasing an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.

4. May Decrease Your Chance of Being Sick

An air purifier can eliminate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your loved ones healthier particularly during cold months. To get full advantage of this plus, our pros recommend a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light provides an added layer of defense against airborne pathogens.

Air Purifiers to Avoid

You’re better off without some air purifiers. Here are a few features to skip when picking a system for your residence:

  • Makes ozone. Some air purifiers produce ozone, which can aggravate your lungs. The EPA advises skipping ozone air purifiers.
  • Doesn’t use HEPA filters. For the best results, 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, like hospitals.
  • Only purifies one room. We advise installing a whole-house air purifier, which cleans the air across your home. This style runs with your HVAC system.

When you work with the indoor air quality professionals at House of Heating Incorporated, we make it simple to choose the best air purifier for your house. Reach us at 715-384-3163 to get started breathing healthier air now!