Best Ways to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

There’s a host of different air cleaners and filters designed to improve indoor air quality for those suffering from respiratory ailments like asthma and allergies. With so many options available, it can be difficult to tell which one is best for your home. This guide illustrates the effectiveness of each option so you can make an informed decision.

What Air Cleaning Devices Do

There are several types of air cleaning devices that are designed to work with your central heating and air conditioning system to remove certain pollutants, including:

• Particulate matter: dust, pollen, animal dander, dust mites, etc.
• Gaseous pollutants: vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke, cleaning products, etc.

When used in tandem, these options provide an effective solution for those with breathing issues.

Electronic Air Cleaners

As air passes through your heating and cooling system, electronic air cleaners trap large particles like dust and dander in a prefilter. The filters then attract and trap smaller particles like bacteria and mold to prevent them from recirculating throughout your home.

Electronic air cleaners are relatively easy to maintain since the filters are reusable and only need to be removed and washed every few months. There’s no need to stock up on extra filters or make a special trip to the store for a replacement.

These filters can be highly effective in removing contaminants from indoor air, especially if they have a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating of 10 or higher.

Types of Air Filters

Mechanical

Most heating and air conditioning systems require a replaceable mechanical filter that can be swapped in and out every few months. These filters are designed to force air through a special screen to trap allergens like pollen, pet dander and dust mites as well as irritants like tobacco smoke.

HEPA

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters were developed during World War II to prevent radioactive particles from escaping laboratories. Today, they have the much less intimidating purpose of removing microscopic allergens from the air.

True HEPA filters must be able to capture at least 90 percent of all particles 0.3 microns or larger in diameter, meaning they can trap several common allergens like:

• Spores: 3-40 microns
• Mold: 3-12 microns
• Car emissions: 1-150 microns
• Bacteria: 0.3-60 microns

Hybrid

Hybrid filters trap allergens and air pollutants with a combination of elements from both mechanical and electronic air cleaners.

Germicidal UVC Lamp

UV-C germicidal light deactivates the DNA of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, destroying their ability to multiply and spread disease. On a technical level, the UV-C light damages a microorganism’s nucleic acid by forming covalent bonds between adjacent bases of its DNA. These bonds prevent the organism from reproducing, effectively killing it when it tries to do so.

This ultraviolet technology is a non-chemical approach to disinfection, inexpensive and requires minimal maintenance.

What to Consider Before Purchasing an Air Cleaner

Ask yourself a few questions before purchasing an air cleaner to determine which option would be most effective for your situation:

• Will the cleaner remove my allergy triggers from the air in my home?
• What is the efficiency rating of the cleaner?
• How often will the unit clean the air in a single room?
• How difficult is it to change the filter?
• How much noise does the unit make?

Allergy-Proof Your Home

Using a high-performance air filter is a great way to improve your home’s indoor air quality by reducing the number of allergens floating around, but there is even more you can do, like cleaning and dusting regularly and replacing carpeted flooring with hardwood or tile.

Breathe Easier With Help From Bonney Plumbing

Are you tired of dealing with allergy and asthma symptoms at home? After you’ve chosen the most effective air cleaner for your lifestyle, it’s important it’s installed correctly so that it works properly.

The certified HVAC technicians at Bonney Plumbing have got your back. We offer several solutions to help improve your home’s indoor air quality. Call 800-444-0551 today for your FREE customized estimate from Bonney Plumbing or request an appointment online.