If you’re shopping for an air purifier, you could be realizing that some manufacturers are spouting many claims. And most of those claims could appear 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 a fantastic way to enhance your Spokane home’s indoor air quality. Today’s houses are solidly sealed and heavily insulated, which is good for energy efficiency, but not so excellent for indoor air quality.

As newer houses don’t typically allow in as much outdoor air as older residences, irritants including dust, pet dander and cleaning products can accumulate inside. The outcome? Air that’s dirtier than the outdoors, which is bad news if you are dealing with allergies, asthma or are sensitive to respiratory irritation.

Our indoor air quality professionals at Bigfoot Mechanical can help you cut through the clutter and choose the best home air purifier. Just call us at 509-392-8770 and we’ll be happy to help. Meanwhile, learn more about how air purifiers operate, their perks and our suggestions to help you select the ideal air purifier.

How Do Air Purifiers Improve Indoor Air Quality?

Most home air purifiers have a fan to pull in air. Then, the air passes through one or more filters to catch irritants before being redistributed.

These filters can have 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 tiny particles as small as .3 microns, like dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.

An air purifier can be compact and used to filter a single room. Or they can be added to your HVAC system, providing strong filtration for your total residence.

The EPA says you should know that air purifiers can’t remove 100% of the contaminants from your residence’s air. But when used in tandem with an enhanced filter for your HVAC system, they can significantly decrease the level of indoor air pollution.

4 Perks of Air Purification

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

1. Lowers Allergy and Asthma Triggers

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

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

2. Reduces Other Issues Related to Poor Indoor Air Quality

Even if you or someone in your home doesn’t experience allergies or asthma, an air purifier can reduce other symptoms associated with bad indoor air quality. These include:

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

It can be tricky to identify symptoms associated with indoor air quality, as they can be triggered by a lot of other illnesses. However, if you’re observing that you feel better after you leave your house, your indoor air quality is possibly causing a problem.

3. Gets Rid of Odors

Odors that hang around, including cigarette smoke or cooking smells, can be tricky to get rid of. If you having issues with getting rid of heavy smells in your home, our pros suggest buying an air purifier with a charcoal or activated carbon filter.

4. May Lower Your Probability of Being Sick

An air purifier can remove some bacteria and viruses under certain airflow conditions, keeping you and your family healthier especially during winter months. To get full advantage of this plus, our pros recommend a UV air purifier. Disinfecting ultraviolet light provides an extra layer of safeguard against airborne pathogens.

Air Purifiers to Skip

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

  • Creates ozone. Some air purifiers make ozone, which can bother your lungs. The EPA suggests staying away from ozone air purifiers.
  • Doesn’t use 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 many healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
  • Only purifies an individual room. We recommend using a whole-house air purifier, which filters the air throughout your home. This option works alongside your heating and cooling system.

When you work with the indoor air quality experts at Bigfoot Mechanical, we make it easy to buy the best air purifier for your house. Contact us at 509-392-8770 to get started breathing cleaner air today!