Installing a whole-home air purifier in your home provides excellent improvement to your indoor air quality. This type of device removes multiple kinds of allergens and pollutants from the air. Its cleaning process results in improved home comfort combined with better energy efficiency. When used strategically, these types of air purifiers can create more pleasant living spaces for everyone in the house. Let’s take a closer look at how they help.
Pollen
Pollen can make its way into your home simply due to the wind carrying it through open doors and windows. With a whole-home air purifier, you can trap the pollen before it causes allergy symptoms. This is a great way to reduce sneezing, itching and watery eyes. Capturing the pollen will also help the heating and cooling equipment perform better, resulting in lower energy bills. Pollen and other pollutants that build up on the condenser coils, blower motors and air filters are top causes of reduced HVAC efficiency.
Dust Mites
Dust mites, despite being microscopic, can cause major allergy and asthma issues. These little mites thrive in areas with a lot of household dust (e.g., curtains, drapes, bedding, air vents and carpets) but are easily capturable by an air purifier. For those with allergies, getting rid of dust mites is an effective way to reduce symptoms.
Mold Spores
Damp indoor environments are ideal for mold growth, which, when released into the air, may irritate the respiratory system. The use of a home air purifier with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can effectively capture mold spores and stop them from spreading. This makes it less likely that people in the house will suffer from mold-related respiratory issues and allergies.
Pet Dander
Pet dander, another common allergen, comes from the skin and fur of pets. As it spreads throughout the home, lingering and floating in the air, it can easily trigger asthma and allergic rhinitis in sensitive individuals. A whole-home air purifier will trap the dander to reduce allergic reactions in pet owners. We highly recommend sweeping or vacuuming several times a week to further minimize allergies caused by pet hair.
Tobacco Smoke
Tobacco smoke contains numerous dangerous chemicals that remain unknown to many people. Whole-home air purifiers can eliminate chemicals like benzene and acrolein from indoor environments. Home air purifiers with activated carbon filters perform most effectively at eliminating tobacco smoke. These filters manage to eliminate toxic gases and odors through a unique adsorption and absorption process.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Many different things in your home, like paints, cleaning supplies and furniture, may have VOCs in them. These chemicals are major causes of headaches, nausea and other symptoms. Many whole-home air purifiers come with specialized filters to capture and get rid of VOCs. Using one that targets these hazardous pollutants can make your home more comfortable and healthier for your family.
Household Cleaning Chemicals
Have you ever used a cleaning agent only to find it irritates your breathing or vision? If so, this is because a lot of household cleaners have harsh chemicals in them. When using an air purifier with an activated carbon filter, it becomes much easier to remove these irritants from the air. This not only improves air quality but also reduces sensitivities to strong cleaning solutions.
Bacteria
Bacteria in your home is one of the top causes of infections and illnesses. Fortunately, there are air purifiers with HEPA filters or UV lights that can trap and neutralize bacteria floating through the air. In addition to better indoor air quality, this lessens the likelihood of airborne diseases.
Viruses
Airborne particles are a vector for the transmission of viruses like the flu and the common cold. High-tech air purifiers enable you to control virus transmission in your home by capturing viral particles. Reducing the risk of illness for everyone in the home makes this method especially necessary in flu season.
Smoke From Wildfires
Wildfires can result in catastrophic circumstances by damaging properties and posing severe health risks. And unfortunately, the smoke from wildfires can even infiltrate homes that don’t suffer any burn damage. As this smoke fills up in a home, it may cause respiratory issues, eye irritation and increased allergy symptoms. Whole-home air purifiers prove to be of the utmost advantage in these situations. They can capture smoke particles and get rid of harmful chemicals to make the indoor air healthier to breathe.
Car Exhaust Fumes
Vehicle exhaust emissions contain harmful particles such as particulate matter alongside nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. To remove these indoor air toxins, you can use an air purifier that features either a HEPA filter or activated carbon. People residing near highways and parking garages will experience substantial air quality improvements.
Asbestos Particles
Many older homes have asbestos and don’t even realize it. If you inhale asbestos, it can cause severe lung problems like lung disease. Asbestos comes from building materials that were largely banned in the 1980s. Even if you don’t live in a home built before the 80s, you should still have it tested for asbestos. There’s a chance that some materials made before the ban or during the transitional period may still contain asbestos; this is quite common for some homes built in the early 2000s. You can also use a whole-home air purifier with a HEPA filter to eliminate airborne asbestos particles.
Lead Dust
Homes constructed before 1978 may contain lead dust, a harmful contaminant. This is especially dangerous if the lead paint is deteriorating because it releases toxic particles into the air. When inhaled, lead dust can cause a variety of health problems, like developmental delays, cognitive impairments or respiratory issues. A whole-house air purifier, especially one with a HEPA filter, is really good at eliminating lead dust.
Cooking Fumes
Sitting down with family members for meals provides a perfect opportunity to strengthen bonds and create enduring memories. But the cooking fumes from the stove or grill may create unpleasant odors that can lead to respiratory irritation. A whole-house air purifier with activated carbon filtration reduces kitchen emissions and aromas for a cleaner, healthier environment.
Formaldehyde
Many common home items, including furniture, construction materials and drywall, contain formaldehyde. This toxin is well-known for irritating the respiratory system when inhaled. Specialized filters used in whole-house air purifiers can effectively remove formaldehyde from the air, making the air cleaner to breathe.
What Kind of Whole-Home Air Purifier Should You Use?
According to the information above, it’s easy to see that whole-home air purifiers with HEPA or activated carbon filters work best. But is it possible to have an air purifier that comes with both filtering technologies? The answer is yes! Many models combine the two technologies to deliver the most comprehensive air cleaning. Some even come with UV lights for extra sanitation to effectively neutralize bacteria and viruses in the air. Whole-house fans also provide added ventilation for fumes created in the home, such as from cooking.
Bryant Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric is here to help you choose the best whole-home air purifier for your home. We also help homeowners in Lexington, KY with plumbing and electrical services. Contact Bryant Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric now to schedule a whole-home air purifier installation for your house.
