Our outdoor air quality in Los Angeles isn’t always great, but there’s something you can do about your indoor air quality. Indoor air quality affects how well you sleep, whether you feel generally healthy and how well you breathe in your home. It’s difficult to pinpoint all the sources of indoor air pollution because there are so many ways your air can be compromised. Using an air cleaner, you can improve your indoor air quality and protect your loved ones from harm.
What air purification systems do
Most air purification systems are designed to address one of three contaminants: particulates, microorganisms or chemical vapors/odors. For example, mechanical filters and electronic air cleaners deal with airborne particulates, while UV lights deal with microorganisms. By choosing the best system for your specific home needs, you can substantially improve your indoor air quality, especially for those who suffer from allergies or asthma.
It’s also important to remember that some air cleaners use a combination of mechanical filtration, UV lights and UV-activated catalysts to eliminate all three classes of contaminants.
How these systems work
With an all-in-one unit, air is first passed through a filter, which removes particulates. UV lights then break down the cell wall of microorganisms, rendering them unable to reproduce. This light also activates a catalyst which chemically reacts with any chemical vapor or odor that passes through the system. The result is refreshingly clean air.
Understand CADR when choosing an air purifier
Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is a number that tells you how much filtered air is delivered by an air cleaner. Look for the AHAM seal on the back of your air cleaner’s box, and you will find three CADR numbers: one for dust, one for pollen and one for tobacco smoke. The higher the numbers, the more volume your air purifier will be able to clean. A general rule of thumb is to multiply your room’s square feet by two-thirds. Choose an air purifying system with a tobacco CADR higher than this number.
For more expert advice on indoor air quality or other heating and cooling concerns, contact us at Around the Clock Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve been serving the Los Angeles area since 1967.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about improving indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Around the Clock Air Conditioning & Heating services Los Angeles, North Hollywood and the surrounding areas in California. Visit our website to see our current specials and get started today!