Most homeowners in Cedarburg, WI, are shocked to learn that the air in their homes is up to five times dirtier than the outdoor air. Indoor air pollution comes from many sources, including your house’s furnishings and the materials used to construct your home. The everyday activities you do and the products you bring into your residence add to indoor air pollution. One way to improve the quality of your home’s air is to install an air purifier. Here’s what you need to know about how they work and who should consider having one installed in their home.
What Air Purifiers Do
Air purifiers clean the air. They trap or inactivate a variety of particles. There are two types of air purifiers. Portable air purifiers are designed to clean the air in one room, such as a bedroom. A whole-home air purifier sanitizes all of the air in your house. Both types are rated by their airflow rate. You should choose an air purifier that will handle all of your home’s or room’s air at least twice per hour. This allows the appliance to remove contaminants, such as sneeze clouds laden with viruses before you have a chance to breathe those particles into your lungs. There are two ways air purifiers work.
One way that an air purifier works is by trapping particles. They may have a filter that does this. The filter media includes layers of fibers that trap particles. These air purifiers will need filter changes once every two to four weeks. An air purifier may also trap particles through electrostatic charges. They do this with ions, and the particles then stick to plates. The metal plates need to be cleaned about once per month.
Another way an air purifier may clean your air is through particle inactivation. There are two types of technology for particle inactivation in air purification systems. The first is with a UV-C lamp. A UV-C lamp is a special type of light bulb that emits UV-C energy. This type of energy bombards the outer protein coats of bacteria, viruses, and allergens. The particles break apart into harmless components. The other type of technology that can inactivate particles is ion emission. Ion emission air purifiers release positively and negatively charged ions that inactivate particles. Some of the particles will stick to each other, and they’ll be big enough to be trapped by the unit’s air filter.
How Effective Are Air Purifiers at Cleaning the Air?
Air purifiers are very effective at inactivating and trapping particles from a house’s air. They do the best job with large particles, such as pollen and pet dander. They also do a good job at inactivating infectious germs, such as the viruses that cause the common cold or influenza. To get the best results from your air purifier, you’ll need to keep up with the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations for cleaning the plates or changing the filters. UV-C air purifiers will need a bulb replacement every one to two years. It’s also a good idea to pair the air purifier with an HVAC filter that has a high minimum efficiency reported value (MERV) rating. Look for a filter with a MERV rating of at least 13. These filters trap particles like dust, bacteria, oil droplets, and pet saliva.
Who Should Consider Using an Air Purifier?
If you or anyone in your home suffers from allergies or asthma, then an air purifier may remove some of the particles that trigger your symptoms. By inactivating allergens and germs in your house’s air, the air purifier also lowers your risk of getting sick. This is helpful for anyone with allergies, asthma, or a compromised immune system. If your household includes a baby or an elderly person, an air purifier could help them breathe easier and give you peace of mind. You may also want to consider an air purifier if you’ve noticed more dust buildup or if you find yourself coughing, sniffling, or sneezing more frequently.
Hometown Heating, Air & Electric employs a trusted installation team for air purifiers. You can also count on us for dependable heating and air conditioning maintenance, repair, replacement, and installation services. Our maintenance agreements will make your life in Cedarburg more convenient, save you money, and give you peace of mind. For more details about air purifiers and how they work, get in touch with us at Hometown Heating, Air & Electric today.