Whole-House Air Purifiers: Which Is Right For Your Home?

Over the course of a single day, the average person inhales up to 3,500 gallons of air. In a home that is rife with indoor pollution, inhaling household particulates like dust, pet dander, mold, pollen and other airborne particulates can easily create a variety of respiratory problems. Over 40 million Americans suffer from asthma and other respiratory ailments that are caused or further aggravated by indoor air pollutants. Having some sort of air filtration system is important for maintaining high air quality.

Room air purifiers are effective at removing some airborne particulates. However, these devices only work on a room-to-room basis and make use of ozone, which could be harmful in high quantities. Whole-house air purifiers work to remove pollutants from the entire home via the home’s own HVAC system. These air filtration systems work in a variety of ways:

• Some systems simply use an air filter in the main return air duct of the HVAC system. The HVAC fan pulls air through this filter before returning it as conditioned air.

• Other systems employ a filter installed after the heating and cooling components. The HVAC fan pushes conditioned air through a set of double-V shaped filters, purifying the air before returning it to the indoor environment. With their high concentration of filter material, these filters trap a substantial number of pollutants.

• There are also ozone-type air cleaners available that are designed for whole-house use. These units also fit within the ductwork, but like room air purifiers, there’s also the concern of ozone buildup.

Some systems combine these methods with the use of ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and other pollutants not caught by HEPA filtration. No matter which air filtration system you choose, you’ll want one that carries the best warranty available. The best systems offer limited warranties that last from five to ten years. Others have guarantees of at least 10x better air quality.

For more information on how whole-house air purifiers can improve the quality of your home’s indoor air, contact us at Air Assurance today. We have the testing equipment to show you what a difference we can make.  Since 1985, we’ve put our experience and knowledge to work serving customers in Broken Arrow, Tulsa and the surrounding areas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Air Filtration Systems: How They Work

A mechanical air filtration system can remove particles of dust, animal dander and dust mites from the air you breathe at home or work, improving your comfort and health. Here's how the filters work:Basic air filtration systems consist of simple panels that cover the intake of furnaces or air vents. The most basic ones are made of fiberglass or polyester and allow air to pass through but trap large particles. Depending on the filter, it is meant to be either replaced or washed periodically.Though these basic filters are effective against dust, smoke and pollen, they don't work to trap harmful molds, bacteria or viruses, which are much smaller and can seep through. This is where High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters can come in. HEPA filters more efficiently capture spores and viruses, filtering out nearly all airborne particulates. Despite one drawback -- motorized fans blow the air through HEPA filters, which can be a bit noisy -- they are the most widely used filters on the market.However, technology is advancing every day, and there are some filtration devices that approach HEPA filtration levels, but allow the filtration to happen without the fans and noise.  You can visit www.IQAIR.com to find out more.  We are the only IQAIR dealer in Oklahoma! They've been featured on Extreme Makeover, as filtration devices used for people with hyper-sensitivity, allergies, or problematic lung and heart patients.Another option: UV filters, which can be combined with HEPA filters to make them even more efficient. HEPA filters catch the harmful pollutants in the air, but UV filters neutralize them. They release short-wave ultraviolet light that breaks down the particulates on a molecular level, altering their DNA and killing them.Air Assurance has been servicing the Broken Arrow and Tulsa region for over 30 years. Please feel free to contact us to ask about air filtration systems or any other heating and cooling questions.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.