The Pro and Cons of Air Purifiers

You might have thought about putting an air purifier in your home to improve your indoor air quality. It’s important to pick the right one based on what you’re trying to accomplish. Here are the differences between the various types of air purifiers and their pros and cons.

What Is an Air Purifier?

An air purifier is a device that removes pollutants from the air. Different types of air purifiers are designed to remove various types of pollutants. An air purifier can either be portable or one that is installed into your home’s centralized heating and cooling system.

To remove pollen, dust mites, mildew, pet dander, bacteria, and viruses from the air, you should get an air purifier with a HEPA filter. This filter removes pollutants from the air as small as 0.3 microns and is over 99% effective. People with asthma and allergies really benefit from HEPA filters.

The air purifier may also have a filter made of activated carbon. This filter is effective at removing smoke and lingering odors from the air. They capture smoke and smells from cigarettes, cooking, pets, and other sources.

Helps You to Breathe Easier

Air purifiers can help everyone, but especially people with allergies or asthma. Even frequent vacuuming doesn’t rid your house of allergens and other pollutants. With fewer pollutants in the air, you’ll feel healthier and have less trouble breathing in your home.

Helps to Prevent Lung Disease

Second-hand cigarette smoke can cause lung and heart disease. It’s especially dangerous for children, as their lungs are still developing. Older people are at higher risk of dementia when breathing in second-hand smoke.

Cigarette smoke is between 0.01 and 4 microns in size. Activated carbon filters can remove particles from the air as small as 0.3 microns. An air purifier can remove all but the smallest cigarette smoke particles from the air.

Captures Radon Gas

Radon gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Radon gas naturally occurs in the ground and finds its way into your house through cracks in the foundation and other gaps. An air purifier with an activated carbon filter can capture radon gas before it affects your family.

Removes Outside Pollutants

Pollutants enter your house through openings, especially open doors and windows. An air purifier can eliminate outdoor pollutants that find their way inside. This is especially useful for people who live in urban environments or near a busy road.

Reduces Carbon Monoxide Levels

If your property doesn’t have enough ventilation, carbon monoxide can build up. Breathing in too much carbon monoxide can lead to higher blood pressure, headaches, shortness of breath, and other health concerns. HEPA filters can reduce the amount of carbon monoxide in the air.

Produces Ozone

You should avoid any air purifier that produces ozone. Breathing in ozone is a health hazard, as it aggravates asthma and can cause permanent lung damage. No major manufacturer makes an ozone-generating air purifier because they’re frowned upon by government health agencies.

Requires Maintenance

Air purifiers need regular maintenance. Most use replaceable filters that need to be changed fairly often. This can get expensive since HEPA filters, in particular, aren’t cheap.

If you don’t change the filters as the air purifier manufacturer recommends, you won’t get the benefits of having an air purifier in your home. Some air purifiers do have reusable filters, but it can be tedious and time-consuming to clean them.

Not All Air Purifiers Are the Same

An air purifier with just a HEPA filter will only be good at removing allergens. They don’t do anything about smoke, gases, or odors. On the other hand, an air purifier with just activated carbon filters is only good at removing smoke, gases, and odors.

If you want to remove allergens and smoke, gases, and odors, you need to buy an air purifier that has both types of filters in it. It is, of course, more expensive to replace both types of filters, but these are an all-in-one solution.

Puyallup Heating & Air Conditioning is a company based in Puyallup, WA, that offers indoor air quality solutions such as air purifiers. We repair, maintain, and replace air conditioners and all types of heating systems. Our team also installs tankless water heaters, including those from Rinnai, Navien, and Noritz. Puyallup Heating & Air Conditioning can seal your air ducts using Aeroseal technology, too. Give us a call today to find out how we can help you.

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