If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you might be realizing that some manufacturers are making a lot of claims. And most of those claims might feel too good to be true. So, it’s only expected that you may be thinking are air purifiers a waste of money.

They’re useful, according to the EPA, since they’re an excellent way to better your Odessa house’s indoor air quality. Modern houses are solidly sealed and heavily insulated, which is good for energy efficiency, but not so fantastic for indoor air quality.

Because newer homes don’t normally let in as much fresh air as aging residences, irritants like dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate indoors. The result? Air that’s more contaminated than the outdoors, which is not good if you have allergies, asthma or are susceptible to respiratory irritation.

Our indoor air quality specialists at Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning can help you cut through the clutter and find the best home air purifier. Just give us a call at 432-237-0168 and we’ll be happy to help. Meanwhile, find out more about how air purifiers work, their perks and our suggestions to help you choose the right air purifier.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

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

These filters might include 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 capturing miniscule particles down to .3 microns, like dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.

An air purifier can be compact and used to treat one area. Or they can be added to your HVAC system, providing powerful filtration for your entire house.

The EPA says you should know that air purifiers can’t get rid of 100% of the contaminants from your home’s air. But when used in combination with an enhanced filter for your HVAC system, they can considerably decrease the concentration of indoor air pollution.

4 Pluses of an Air Purifier

Adding an air purifier to your house can give a lot of great health perks. Here are several of them.

1. Decreases Allergy and Asthma Triggers

Air purifiers lower irritants in your home, including some of these standard triggers:

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

2. Reduces Other Problems Linked to Poor Indoor Air Quality

Even if you or someone in your home doesn’t struggle with allergies or asthma, an air purifier can alleviate other issues associated with bad indoor air quality. These entail:

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

It can be difficult to identify issues related to indoor air quality, because they can be caused by a lot of other illnesses. However, if you’re noticing that symptoms lessen after you leave your residence, your indoor air quality is possibly causing trouble.

3. Gets Rid of Odors

Lingering odors, such as cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tricky to eliminate. If you are having a hard time with removing persistent smells in your residence, we recommend getting an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.

4. Can Reduce Your Chance of Becoming Sick

An air purifier can inactivate some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your household healthier especially during colder months. To take full advantage of this benefit, our professionals suggest a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light delivers an added layer of safeguard against airborne pathogens.

Air Purifiers to Skip

You’re better off without some air purifiers. Here are a few options to skip when choosing a system for your house:

  • Creates ozone. Some air purifiers produce ozone, which can aggravate your lungs. The EPA suggests avoiding ozone air purifiers.
  • Doesn’t include HEPA filters. For the best results, you’ll want a HEPA air purifier. Known as the gold standard for pure air, HEPA filters are used in the majority of healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
  • Only purifies an individual room. We recommend installing a whole-house air purifier, which purifies the air across your home. This option operates alongside your HVAC system.

When you partner with the indoor air quality professionals at Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning, we make it easy to select the best air purifier for your house. Give us a call at 432-237-0168 to start breathing cleaner air today!