Depending on your home, you may need both. Air purifiers and air filters aren’t mutually exclusive: you don’t have to choose one and stick with it. Many homes can manage with just a set of the right type of air filters, while others will need to have an air purifier in Williston, VT provide help to their air filters to remove some of the more elusive and difficult-to-trap pollutants.
If you’re wondering if you need either, the answer is probably yes. Air quality in many homes today is often shockingly poor because there’s not enough fresh air circulation. With more people concerned about the transmission of diseases than ever before, indoor air quality is something all homeowners should look into attempting to improve. Air filters and air purifiers are some of the best ways to get started, as well as among the most effective and affordable.
Starting With Air Filtration
We recommend first looking into getting a whole-house air filtration system. This is different from the air filter that’s already on your HVAC system. This filter, also known as the blower filter, is only designed to protect the interior of the HVAC cabinet from dust and debris. It does little for air quality. For that, you’ll need our professionals to plumb a special housing into the ductwork for the whole-house filters.
Whole-house filters can be extremely powerful. The HEPA filter is one example: it can block bacteria and other minute particles. However, the HVAC systems in most homes cannot handle filters of this strength. They restrict airflow, which can damage the HVAC system and harm your comfort. It requires specialists to find the best strength of filter a house can use and see how effectively it traps pollutants. A good air filtration system can stop dust, lint, dander, dust mites, and even smaller particles.
Adding an Air Purification System
If the most powerful air filters your HVAC system can handle still allow some particles to slip through, an air purifier can provide another line of defense. Air purifiers on their own don’t work effectively against larger particles like dust, but when paired with a filter they can trap the tiny contaminants that may get through the filter. They also help the filter to work better. The right combination of air filtration and air purification systems can remove more than 98% of unwanted pollutants from household air.
The most common type of air filter uses ionization to cause pollutants to gain a negative or positive charge. The pollutants start to clump together and either fall from the air or get easily trapped by the air filter. The purifier can also draw the charged particles down to its own pair of oppositely charged plates. Most of these ionizers operate without placing ozone into the air, which was once a drawback of many air purifiers.
Another type of air purifier that can help your house is a UV air purifier, which uses ultraviolet radiation to kill or render inert bacteria, germs, viruses, mold spores, and many microbes.
Red Rock Mechanical, LLC serves Northwest Vermont and Northeast New York. Call us to find out more about our indoor air quality services.
