Understanding Home Air Purification

The air inside your home is easily contaminated by a wide range of particles and pollutants. Particulate matter like dust, pollen, smoke, animal hair, and particles from cooking are all common contaminates in the house. Gaseous pollutants are also common and things like gas from stoves, vehicle exhaust, smoke, and fumes from products like paints, varnishes, and cleaning products are big contributors to indoor home air contamination. Removing these pollutants with an air purification system will give you the benefit of a better, healthier indoor air. There are a range of different air cleaning devices–some that can be installed in the ductwork of your home’s central HVAC system for purification of the entire house–others are portable room air cleaners for individual rooms. Here is a look at some of the different home air cleaners.

 

Electronic Air Cleaners

These devices clean the air through electrostatic attraction to attract and trap particles. Air is drawn through an ionization component, where particles become electrically charged. The particles then accumulate on an oppositely charged plate, while the ion generator disperses charged ions into the air that attach to particles and cause them to settle faster. These air cleaners can effectively remove small particles but may be less effective against larger particles. They can also produce ozone, a lung irritant, although the amount varies by product.

 

Mechanical Air Filters

These air cleaners work by removing particles through a traditional filtering system. These air cleaners are better at capturing larger particles such as dust, pollen, hair, and other allergens. The filter method is a reliable way to clean pollutants from the air in conjunction with your home HVAC system. Check your home HVAC system to make sure there is enough fan capacity to accommodate efficient air filters.

 

Portable Air Cleaners

Portable air cleaners use a fan to circulate the air to help remove particles and pollutants. These cleaners can be moved from room to room to clean the air in individual areas. The effectiveness of these devices is measured by their clean air delivery rate. This measures the cubic feet per minute of contaminant free air from the portable air cleaner. Not all portable air cleaners will have the same rate of effectiveness for cleaning the air of contaminants, but this measurement allows comparison across brands. Many room sized portable air cleaners may not be able to remove large contaminants, so consider a more thorough whole-home air filtration system installed and run through your home’s ventilation system.