If you’re looking for an air purifier, you may be finding that some kinds are spouting a lot of claims. And most of those claims could feel too good to be true. So, it’s only natural that you might be wondering are air purifiers a waste of money.

They’re useful, according to the EPA, because they’re an excellent way to enhance your Fredericksburg residence’s indoor air quality. Today’s houses are solidly sealed and heavily insulated, which is excellent for energy efficiency, but not so excellent for indoor air quality.

As updated residences don’t typically allow in as much outdoor air as older homes, irritants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can concentrate in your home. The consequence? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is a problem if you have allergies, asthma or are sensitive to respiratory irritation.

Our indoor air quality pros at Childress Heating & AC can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just give us a call at 540-675-4306 and we’ll be happy to assist you. Meanwhile, find out more about how air purifiers clean the air, their perks and our recommendations to help you find the best air purifier.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

Most home air purifiers have a fan to collect air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to collect irritants before being sent out again.

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 catching microscopic particles as small as .3 microns, such as 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, providing powerful filtration for your total residence.

The EPA says you should be aware that air purifiers can’t eliminate every contaminant from your house’s air. But when used in combination with an enhanced filter for your HVAC system, they can significantly decrease the amount of indoor air pollution.

4 Benefits of Air Purification

Installing an air purifier in your house can offer a lot of outstanding health advantages. Here are just a couple of them.

1. Decreases Allergy and Asthma Triggers

Air purifiers reduce pollutants in your house, like some of these common triggers:

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

2. Reduces Other Issues Associated with Poor Indoor Air Quality

Even if you or someone in your residence doesn’t struggle with allergies or asthma, an air purifier can lower other symptoms related to poor indoor air quality. These include:

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

It can be difficult to determine issues associated with indoor air quality, since they can be linked to lots of other illnesses. However, if you’re observing that symptoms are better after you leave home, your indoor air quality is possibly causing a problem.

3. Eliminates Odors

Odors that hang around, such as cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be difficult to get rid of. If you having problems with removing heavy smells in your house, we advise getting an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.

4. Can Lower Your Likelihood of Being Sick

An air purifier can remove some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your family in good health particularly during cold months. To get full advantage of this perk, our pros advise a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light gives an additional layer of defense against airborne pathogens.

Air Purification Systems to Skip

You’re better off without select air purifiers. Here are a couple of styles to skip when choosing a system for your house:

  • Creates ozone. Some air purifiers make ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA recommends staying away from ozone air purifiers.
  • Doesn’t use HEPA filters. For the best filtration, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Regarded as the gold standard for pure air, HEPA filters are used in many healthcare settings, like hospitals.
  • Only purifies an individual room. We suggest installing a whole-house air purifier, which filters the air in every room. This option operates with your heating and cooling system.

When you work with the indoor air quality professionals at Childress Heating & AC, we make it uncomplicated to buy the best air purifier for your home. Contact us at 540-675-4306 to start breathing healthier air today!