Air Cleaner or Air Purifier: What Should You Choose?

Homes today are more airtight than ever before, so the air your family breathes can be significantly more polluted than what's outdoors. You might be thinking about having an air cleaner or an air purifier installed, but you're unsure which option is better. To help you decide, here's some helpful information about both of these methods of improving air quality.

Air Cleaners 101

There are two basic types of air cleaners on the market today:

• Electronic air cleaners that ionize particles to draw them out of the air supply. Ozone is a byproduct of the ionizing process, and it's a known lung irritant that worsens respiratory problems.

• Mechanical air cleaners use a filter medium to trap undesirable particles and allergens floating in the indoor air supply.

Whole-home mechanical air cleaners are installed on the HVAC ductwork so your home's air supply travels through the filter before it's conditioned and distributed. There are a number of makes and models available that offer different degrees of filtration to get rid of particles like:

• Ash, soil and dust.

• Plant pollens.

• Dust mites.

• Pet dander.

• Mold and mildew spores.

• Tobacco smoke.

Air Purifier Basics

Air purifiers also improve air quality, but they work differently than filtered air cleaners. Instead of capturing particles in a replaceable filter, air purifiers rely on ultraviolet (UV) lamps to eradicate airborne pollutants and contaminants. As with air cleaners, there are whole-home purifiers available that are integrated into the ductwork so all of the return air entering the HVAC system gets zapped and purified before it's heated or cooled and distributed through the supply ducts. The unit's UV germicidal lamps remove odors and kill mold, mildew and biological contaminants like viruses and bacteria.

Do You Need An Air Cleaner or Air Purifier?

Before you decide, have your air quality assessed by a knowledgeable professional to learn whether you need an air cleaner, purifier or a system that combines a filter and UV light.If you need expert advice about whether an air cleaner or air purifier is the best choice for your Broken Arrow home, contact us at Air Assurance.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Maklay62/Pixabay”

Comparing Electronic Air Cleaners

 Indoor air quality can be affected by a number of factors such as airborne particles, chemical vapors and unwanted odors.  And every family has different air quality needs depending on allergies, asthma or other sensitivities.  Electronic air cleaners can address most of the problems you may be faced with, but different models offer different features.  It is important to know what features an air cleaner has before you make a purchase to ensure that it meets your specific needs.Electronic air cleaners offer a number of different features, including:

• Specific contaminant targets - Not all air cleaners address the same type of indoor air pollutants. Some only target certain contaminants while others tackle multiple issues. Dirt, dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, chemicals, bacteria and viruses are all removed in different ways. Find out which of these is addressed by your air cleaner.

• Efficiency - Energy efficiency is a factor to consider, but air cleaner efficiency typically refers to the percentage of contaminants that can be removed from the air. Higher percentages indicate higher efficiency.

• Range - Portable electronic air cleaners only cover a small area, usually limited to one room in your home. Whole-house air cleaners work with your existing heating and cooling equipment to provide clean air in every room of the house.

• Ozone - Some air cleaners produce ozone, a known lung irritant, as a byproduct. If this is a concern for you, make sure that you purchase equipment that does not produce ozone.

Bringing fresh air into your home is one way to improve indoor air quality, but this is not always possible when your air conditioning is running for most of the hot Tampa Bay summer.  Installing an air cleaner is an excellent alternative that will keep your indoor air clean and fresh all year long.Narrowing your choices can be a daunting task, especially if you're not sure what you need.  The professionals at ABS Air Conditioning will work with you to determine your air-cleaning needs and identify systems that will work best in your home.  Call us today to learn more about what electronic air cleaners can do for you.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here.Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.