How Does an Air Purifier Work | The Benefits of Amazingly Clean Air
An air purifier’s purpose is to serve as a sanitation device for air inside a home. The purifier pulls in air that contains harmful particles, sanitizes them, and recirculates the clean air back into the environment. This function makes them differ from other air quality control systems:
- HVAC units cool and circulate air, while purifiers sanitize circulated air.
- Diffusers and humidifiers add particles to the air, while purifiers remove harmful particles such as allergens, toxins, and other pollutants.
- Both air filters and air purifiers remove unwanted particles, however, purifiers sanitize them as well.
5 Reasons To Have an Air Purifier in Your Home
Air purifiers are a beneficial investment for almost any household, especially if any of the following are pressing concerns:
Air Quality
The EPA estimates that air inside of a home is two to five times dirtier than air that is outdoors. That is partially due to air flow as the poor air has a harder time to escape an enclosed space. An air purifier will help to remove the dirty air, keeping your home fresh and clean just like the outdoors.
Odors
Air purifiers remove unpleasant odors, such as those from cooking or smoking. It is easy for smells to build up in a home, especially a small one. Unless you have a window open, it is hard for these orders to escape your house. An air purifier will act as a window, purifying the odors within a room.
Pets
There’s no doubt that you love your pets, but the settling of pet odors and airborne allergens (such as dander and fur) can be prevented by investing in an air purifier. Especially in the summer, pets tend to lose their fur faster than usual. And in the winter, their skin is dry and produces more dandruff. Specific air purifiers can eliminate both of these issues and help keep your family healthy and breathing easily.
Dust
The presence of dust is virtually unavoidable. However, air purifiers lessen the quantity of dust that settles on surfaces in your home, which means less frequent and intense cleaning practices. Who doesn’t love that?
Bacteria and Germs
Air purifiers are able to remove up to 99% of illness-causing bacteria (such as mold and pollen) from the home. Purifiers with UV bulbs can capture and neutralize up to 99.97% of airborne germs. Since the health and safety of your family is your top priority, purifiers ensure the air within your home is clean and germ-free.
The 4 Types of Air Purifiers
Though these air quality issues are universal, there are 4 distinct types of air purifiers, each serving a different purpose and mitigating a unique concern:
Ultraviolet Air Purifiers | HEPA Air Purifiers | Activated Carbon Air Purifiers | Ionic Air Purifiers |
As the name suggests, ultraviolet air purifiers utilize a chamber filled with UV light to sanitize air. The UV light breaks down the molecular bonds within pathogens and other harmful particles and disperses the purified air back into the home. | HEPA purifiers remove 99.7% of particles larger than 0.2 microns using an advanced filter. This means HEPA air purifiers are ineffective at removing small particles (germs, viruses, and bacteria). | The purpose of activated carbon purifiers is to remove smoke, fumes, and gasses from the air. Unfortunately, this makes activated carbon purifiers less effective at removing particles (mold, pollen, dander). This can be resolved by purchasing an activated carbon purifier that also includes a HEPA filter. | These purifiers work in one of two ways. The first is by emitting negative ions into the air, which in turn bond with unwanted particles and weigh them down, causing them to fall. The second is the attraction of positively charged particles to a metal plate within the purifier, effectively trapping them. |
Maintenance: Replacing the UV bulb every year. | Maintenance: These air filters need to be replaced after every month of use. | Maintenance: Cleaning the carbon filter at least once a month, as well as replacing the HEPA filter once a month, if present. | Maintenance: Monthly cleanings for most devices. However, some top-of-the-line purifiers are self-cleaning. |
Best for: Preventing illness by neutralizing mold, germs, and other bacteria. | Best for: These purifiers are popular with consumers for removing larger particles from the air, such as mold, pollen, dander, and dust. | Best for: If removing odors from the home is your main concern, it is wise to invest in this purifier, as it is the only type that is designed specifically for this purpose. | Best for: Ionic air purifiers are able to remove any particle from the air (including dust, mold, smoke, and allergens). However, ionic air purifiers cannot remove odors. |
Temperature Pro Is Here
Still have questions? Don’t stress! TemperaturePro is happy to help with any and all of your HVAC needs, including air purifier consultations and installations. To book an appointment, give us a call today.