If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you might be noticing that some kinds are producing many claims. And many of those claims may seem too good to be true. So, it’s only expected that you might be thinking are air purifiers a waste of money.

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

As modern houses don’t typically bring in as much outdoor air as aging houses, contaminants like dust, pet dander and cleaning products can concentrate in your home. The consequence? Air that’s dirtier than the outdoors, which is bad news if you have allergies, asthma or are sensitive to respiratory irritation.

Our indoor air quality pros at Watts Electric & AC can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just contact us at 601-736-7362 and we’ll be happy to assist you. In the meantime, find out more about how air purifiers clean the air, their perks and our suggestions to help you select the right air purifier.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

Most home air purifiers rely on a fan to draw in air. Then, the air passes through one or more filters to collect irritants before being redistributed.

These filters can have 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 microscopic particles as little as .3 microns, like dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.

An air purifier can be lightweight and used to purify one room. Or they can be fitted to your HVAC system, providing effective filtration for your complete residence.

The EPA says you should know that air purifiers can’t eliminate every contaminant from your residence’s air. But when used in combination with a better filter for your HVAC system, they can considerably lower the amount of indoor air pollution.

4 Pluses of an Air Purifier

Getting an air purifier for your house can give a lot of great health pluses. Here are several of them.

1. Lowers Allergy and Asthma Triggers

Air purifiers reduce contaminants in your home, like some of these common triggers:

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

2. Reduces Other Symptoms Related to Poor Indoor Air Quality

Even if you or someone in your home doesn’t experience allergies or asthma, an air purifier can lower other troubles related to poor indoor air quality. These involve:

  • 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 caused by lots of other illnesses. However, if you’re observing that symptoms are better after you leave home, your indoor air quality is possibly causing trouble.

3. Eliminates Odors

Lingering odors, including cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tough to get rid of. If you having difficulties with removing heavy smells in your residence, we suggest purchasing an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.

4. May Decrease Your Likelihood of Getting Sick

An air purifier can inactivate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your family in better health particularly during colder months. To receive total advantage of this benefit, our pros suggest a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light provides an additional layer of safeguard against airborne pathogens.

Air Purifiers to Skip

You’re better off without some air purifiers. Here are a few features to skip when picking a system for your residence:

  • Creates ozone. Some air purifiers create ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA suggests skipping ozone air purifiers.
  • Doesn’t use HEPA filters. For the best outcome, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Regarded as the gold standard for clean air, HEPA filters are used in many healthcare settings, including hospitals.
  • Only purifies an individual room. We advise using a whole-house air purifier, which cleans the air throughout your home. This solution runs with your HVAC system.

When you partner with the indoor air quality professionals at Watts Electric & AC, we make it easy to select the best air purifier for your home. Contact us at 601-736-7362 to begin breathing cleaner air now!