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

They’re useful, according to the EPA, since they’re a fantastic way to better your Athol residence’s indoor air quality. Newer homes are solidly sealed and thoroughly insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so good for indoor air quality.

Because newer residences don’t typically bring in as much outdoor air as old houses, pollutants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate inside. The result? Air that’s dirtier than the outdoors, which is bad news if you have allergies, asthma or are vulnerable to respiratory irritation.

Our indoor air quality pros at Alpine Summit Heating & Cooling can help you cut through the clutter and find the best home air purifier. Just give us a call at 208-561-1226 and we’ll be happy to provide support. Meanwhile, find out more about how air purifiers work, their perks and our suggestions to help you select the best air purifier.

How Do Air Purifiers Improve Indoor Air Quality?

Most home air purifiers rely on a fan to pull in air. Then, the air is pushed through one or more filters to catch irritants 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, such as dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.

An air purifier can be movable and used to filter one room. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, providing effective filtration for your complete house.

The EPA says it’s important to know that air purifiers can’t eliminate 100% of the contaminants from your home’s air. But when used along with an improved filter for your HVAC system, they can considerably reduce the level of indoor air pollution.

4 Perks of Air Purification

Getting an air purifier for your home can give lots of good health advantages. Here are several of them.

1. Lowers Allergy and Asthma Triggers

Air purifiers lower contaminants in your home, like some of these standard triggers:

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

2. Lowers Other Issues Related to Poor Indoor Air Quality

Even if you or someone in your home doesn’t struggle with allergies or asthma, an air purifier can reduce other troubles associated with bad indoor air quality. These entail:

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

It can be difficult to determine symptoms associated with indoor air quality, because they can be linked to many other illnesses. However, if you’re noticing that you feel better after you leave your residence, your indoor air quality is likely causing a problem.

3. Eliminates Odors

Lingering odors, such as cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tricky to eliminate. If you are having a hard time with removing strong smells in your home, our pros suggest buying an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.

4. May Decrease Your Chance of Becoming Sick

An air purifier can remove some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your loved ones in good health even more so during colder months. To receive total advantage of this perk, our pros recommend a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light provides an additional layer of protection against airborne pathogens.

Air Purifiers to Avoid

You’re better off without certain air purifiers. Here are a couple of styles to stay away from when picking a system for your house:

  • Makes ozone. Some air purifiers produce ozone, which can aggravate your lungs. The EPA recommends staying away from ozone air purifiers.
  • Doesn’t have HEPA filters. For the best filtration, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Considered the gold standard for clean air, HEPA filters are used in the majority of healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
  • Only purifies an individual room. We advise installing a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air throughout your home. This option works in tandem with your heating and cooling system.

When you partner with the indoor air quality specialists at Alpine Summit Heating & Cooling, we make it easy to buy the best air purifier for your house. Reach us at 208-561-1226 to begin breathing cleaner air today!