Since the mid-1960s, when rudimentary air purifiers hit the residential market, they’ve earned both fans and detractors. With air quality in the Los Angeles basin deemed “hazardous” by the Environmental Protection Agency, you may be considering the purchase of a modern unit for your home. Given that they seem to work mysteriously, you may be questioning how effective they are.
HEPA
“High-Efficiency Particulate Arrester” (HEPA) commonly refers to a filter with an excellent level of filtration. As a retrofit, however, most homeowners find the installation of a true HEPA filter into a whole-house HVAC system requires modification of the original configuration. This can be both costly and inconvenient.
Free-standing, portable units tend to be more convenient. Some are so small they can be placed on a tabletop near the user, thus providing instant relief from allergies.
What to Know
Dispel the mystery with these handy facts:
- Some popular air purifiers work using an electrostatic charge; as air moves through, airborne particles are drawn toward and held against minutely-charged plates.
- Most electrostatic filters generate some level of ozone as part of their proper function, and this can be an irritant to people with lung problems.
- Ultraviolet (UV), air purifiers emit radiation from special light bulbs; the radiation is harmless to humans (but the bulbs must not be looked at) yet kills living contaminants, such as bacteria and viruses.
- Motorized units — equipped with fans — arguably work better than passive units, through which air simply drifts, since with passive units most allergens and microbacterial contaminants are too heavy to float on air and therefore must be drawn into the device before they can be eliminated.
Prevention Better Than Cure
Since most of these appliances do purify air, they can be particularly beneficial for those who suffer from pulmonary diseases or allergies. That said, the best solution for in-home air contamination is to prevent particulates from gaining entry in the first place. Contact Around the Clock Air Conditioning and Heating for expert advice on eliminating pollutants at the source.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air purifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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