Using an air-purification system in your home can help to significantly improve the quality of your home’s indoor air. There are four specific criteria you can use to help you select an effective system and to ensure that you get a system that will match your home’s needs.
Before you can select an air purifier, you need to know the class (or classes) of contaminants that are present in your home. Have your home’s indoor air quality tested to reveal if particles, mold and bacteria, and/or odors and chemicals are causing problems. This will give you information that you can use to select a system’s air-purification technology.
Consider these criteria to judge whether a system is right for you:
- Particle removal. A variety of technologies are available. Some systems simply trap particles in a filter; others use ionization so that particles are “stuck” to a plate in the system (although these particles can be later released back into the home). Systems that use a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter are often the best choice, because they permanently trap particles. However, since HEPA filters are restrictive on airflow, they must be used in conjunction with other less restrictive devices. Only a portion of the home’s air can be filtered by the HEPA device in one pass so several passes will be required to sufficiently scrub 100% of the air.
- Efficiency over time. When judging a system’s efficiency, most systems are tested during their initial 30 minutes of operation. However, you need to know how well your system will work in the long term. Look for reports that evaluate long-term efficiency and affects on airflow.
- Particle filtration. If you’ve had testing done, you know what contaminants – and their sizes – your system needs to be able to remove from the air. Particle size is measured in microns, and the best systems will remove particles as small as 0.003 microns.
- Other filtration. If your testing revealed that your home’s indoor air quality has all three classes of contaminants (particles; mold and bacteria; odors and chemicals), you’ll need a system that addresses more than just particles. Look for a system that combines several technologies and maintains efficiency.
You can improve indoor air quality by using these criteria to make your air-purification system selection. For help, contact San Antonio’s HVAC experts at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers 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.
Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!
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