If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you could be noticing that some manufacturers 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, as they’re an excellent way to enhance your Phoenix residence’s indoor air quality. Today’s homes are solidly sealed and heavily insulated, which is excellent for energy efficiency, but not so fantastic for indoor air quality.

Since modern houses don’t normally allow in as much outside air as aging residences, pollutants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate in your home. The result? Air that’s more polluted than the outdoors, which is bad news if you are dealing with allergies, asthma or are sensitive to respiratory irritation.

Our indoor air quality pros at Dial One Mears Air Conditioning & Heating Inc can help you cut through the clutter and select the best home air purifier. Just contact us at 602-789-3315 and we’ll be happy to help. For now, find out more about how air purifiers operate, their advantages and our recommendations to help you select the ideal air purifier.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

Most home air purifiers use a fan to collect air. Then, the air passes through one or more filters to collect pollutants before being recirculated.

These filters might incorporate a charcoal filter, to get rid of odors, and a HEPA, or high efficiency particulate air, filter. A HEPA filter is at least 99.7% effective at catching tiny particles as little as .3 microns, including dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.

An air purifier can be movable and used to treat a single space. Or they can be installed inside your HVAC system, providing strong filtration for your entire house.

The EPA says you should know that air purifiers can’t eliminate every contaminant from your house’s air. But when used in tandem with an improved filter for your HVAC system, they can significantly reduce the level of indoor air pollution.

4 Perks of an Air Purifier

Getting an air purifier for your house can deliver many great health perks. Here are just a couple of them.

1. Decreases Allergy and Asthma Triggers

Air purifiers lower irritants in your house, like some of these typical triggers:

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

2. Alleviates Other Issues Related to Poor Indoor Air Quality

Even if you or someone in your household doesn’t struggle with allergies or asthma, an air purifier can reduce other symptoms linked to poor indoor air quality. These include:

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

It can be tricky to determine symptoms linked to indoor air quality, because they can be caused by a lot of other illnesses. However, if you’re observing that symptoms lessen after you leave your residence, your indoor air quality is possibly causing a problem.

3. Gets Rid of Odors

Persistent odors, such as cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tricky to eliminate. If you having difficulties with eliminating strong smells in your residence, our pros advise buying an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.

4. May Lower Your Chance of Being Sick

An air purifier can eliminate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your loved ones in good health even more so during winter months. To receive total advantage of this perk, our pros suggest a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light delivers an added layer of defense against airborne pathogens.

Air Purifiers to Stay Away From

You’re better off without some air purifiers. Here are a couple of styles to avoid when selecting a system for your home:

  • Creates ozone. Some air purifiers produce ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA advises staying away from ozone air purifiers.
  • Doesn’t have HEPA filters. For the best results, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Considered the gold standard for clean air, HEPA filters are used in the majority of healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
  • Only purifies an individual room. We suggest getting a whole-house air purifier, which filters the air throughout your home. This solution runs in tandem with your home comfort system.

When you call the indoor air quality experts at Dial One Mears Air Conditioning & Heating Inc, we make it simple to select the best air purifier for your residence. Give us a call at 602-789-3315 to start breathing healthier air right away!