If you’re looking for an air purifier, you could be realizing that some kinds are making lots of claims. And many of those claims might seem too good to be true. So, it’s only natural that you might be questioning are air purifiers a waste of money.

They’re useful, according to the EPA, because they’re a fantastic approach to better your Carson City home’s indoor air quality. Newer residences are tightly sealed and heavily insulated, which is excellent for energy efficiency, but not so good for indoor air quality.

Because updated homes don’t typically allow in as much outside air as aging houses, contaminants like dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate inside. The result? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is bad news if you have allergies, asthma or are vulnerable to respiratory irritation.

Our indoor air quality professionals at Anderson Heating & A/C can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just contact us at 775-230-7628 and we’ll be happy to assist you. For now, learn more about how air purifiers clean the air, their perks and our advice to help you select the ideal air purifier.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

Most home air purifiers have a fan to draw in air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to catch pollutants before being redistributed.

These filters may incorporate a charcoal filter, to eliminate odors, and a HEPA, or high efficiency particulate air, filter. A HEPA filter is at least 99.7% effective at capturing tiny particles as small as .3 microns, including dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.

An air purifier can be compact and used to treat a single area. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, giving powerful filtration for your entire residence.

The EPA says it’s important to know that air purifiers can’t get rid of 100% of the contaminants from your house’s air. But when used in combination with an enhanced filter for your HVAC system, they can considerably lower the amount of indoor air pollution.

4 Advantages of an Air Purifier

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

1. Reduces Allergy and Asthma Triggers

Air purifiers reduce irritants in your house, such as some of these typical triggers:

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

2. Alleviates Other Issues Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality

Even if you or someone in your residence doesn’t experience allergies or asthma, an air purifier can reduce other symptoms associated with low indoor air quality. These include:

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

It can be tricky to distinguish symptoms linked to indoor air quality, as they can be linked to lots of other illnesses. However, if you’re observing that symptoms are better after you leave your house, your indoor air quality is possibly causing trouble.

3. Gets Rid of Odors

Persistent odors, like cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tricky to remove. If you are having a hard time with removing persistent smells in your home, we recommend buying an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.

4. Might Lower Your Chance of Becoming Sick

An air purifier can eliminate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your family in good health even more so during cold months. To get total advantage of this perk, our professionals recommend a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light gives an extra layer of protection against airborne pathogens.

Air Purifiers to Avoid

You’re better off without certain air purifiers. Here are a few styles to avoid when choosing a system for your house:

  • Produces ozone. Some air purifiers create ozone, which can aggravate your lungs. The EPA advises avoiding ozone air purifiers.
  • Doesn’t use HEPA filters. For the best outcome, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Known as the gold standard for healthy air, HEPA filters are used in most healthcare settings, like hospitals.
  • Only purifies one room. We recommend installing a whole-house air purifier, which filters the air throughout your home. This solution works alongside your home comfort system.

When you call the indoor air quality experts at Anderson Heating & A/C, we make it easy to select the best air purifier for your residence. Give us a call at 775-230-7628 to get started breathing fresher air today!