If you’re looking for an air purifier, you may be realizing that some brands are spouting a lot of claims. And many of those claims could appear too good to be true. So, it’s only natural that you could be wondering are air purifiers a waste of money.

They’re useful, according to the EPA, since they’re an excellent way to enhance your The Bay Area residence’s indoor air quality. Newer houses are securely sealed and thoroughly insulated, which is fantastic for energy efficiency, but not so good for indoor air quality.

As modern homes don’t typically allow in as much fresh air as older houses, contaminants such as dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate indoors. The outcome? Air that’s more polluted than the outdoors, which is bad news if you are dealing with allergies, asthma or are vulnerable to respiratory irritation.

Our indoor air quality specialists at Contra Costa Heating & AC can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just call us at 510-343-9841 and we’ll be happy to provide support. In the meantime, find out more about how air purifiers operate, their pluses and our suggestions to help you find the ideal air purifier.

How Does an Air Purification System Work?

Most home air purifiers rely on a fan to draw in air. Then, the air passes through one or more filters to catch pollutants 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 catching tiny particles as small as .3 microns, including dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.

An air purifier can be compact and used to filter an individual space. Or they can be added to your HVAC system, providing powerful filtration for your complete house.

The EPA says it’s important to know that air purifiers can’t eliminate every contaminant from your house’s air. But when used along with an improved filter for your HVAC system, they can considerably decrease the level of indoor air pollution.

4 Perks of Air Purification

Adding an air purifier to your residence can deliver lots of outstanding health perks. Here are several of them.

1. Reduces Allergy and Asthma Triggers

Air purifiers decrease contaminants in your home, including some of these standard triggers:

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

2. Lowers Other Issues Associated with Poor Indoor Air Quality

Even if you or someone in your residence doesn’t struggle with allergies or asthma, an air purifier can alleviate other symptoms linked to low indoor air quality. These involve:

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

It can be tricky to identify troubles associated with 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 house, your indoor air quality is probably causing trouble.

3. Removes Odors

Odors that hang around, like cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be difficult to remove. If you having issues with removing strong smells in your house, our professionals recommend getting an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.

4. Can Lower Your Chance of Getting Sick

An air purifier can inactivate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your family healthier particularly during colder months. To get complete advantage of this benefit, our professionals advise a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light delivers an additional layer of defense against airborne pathogens.

Air Purification Systems to Skip

You’re better off without select air purifiers. Here are a couple of options to avoid when picking a system for your residence:

  • Makes ozone. Some air purifiers create ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA advises skipping ozone air purifiers.
  • Doesn’t use HEPA filters. For the best outcome, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Considered the gold standard for healthy air, HEPA filters are used in most healthcare settings, including hospitals.
  • Only purifies an individual room. We advise installing a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air throughout your home. This option works alongside your HVAC system.

When you partner with the indoor air quality specialists at Contra Costa Heating & AC, we make it easy to select the best air purifier for your home. Give us a call at 510-343-9841 to begin breathing fresher air now!