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Archive for the ‘Air filters’ Category

The cleanliness of air that you breathe inside your home is something that you should give ample attention to. This is especially important if you have families who are prone to air-borne allergies and asthma. If that’s the case, you should ensure that the air you breathe is pure and free from dust, dirt, and germs that may pose harm to the rest of the household. Ensuring that the air inside your home is of high quality does not only benefit the people living in your house, but your pets as well. The need for pure indoor air is the reason why various manufacturers have come up with solutions that will cater to this need. Home air filters, also referred to as home air purifiers, were introduced to the public to give homeowners a way to keep the air inside their homes clean. If you’re interested in getting one, read on to learn more about these systems, the types available in the market, its importance and benefits, as well as how you could get the best one for your house.

What Are Air Filters?

Generally, an air filter or air purifier is a device used to remove dust, mold, smoke, pet dander, allergens, and other pollutants that may be present in the air circulating inside an indoor space. It can be used at any indoor area such as your home, office, or any other building. However if you need one solely for your house, a home air filtration system is what you need to get since it works specifically in eliminating air pollutants inside the house. Basically, getting rid of the unwanted substances and materials involves proper ventilation using fresh, outdoor air. However, when pollutants and other harmful elements interfere in the ventilation process, this is where having a home filtration system comes in handy.

For those who wish to purify the air that they breathe inside their homes, there are a number home filtration systems which they can go for. There’s the air purifier, whole house air purifier, and portable air purifier. Moreover, there are different types of air purifiers and you can get one according to your basic air purification needs.

Types of Air Filters

An air filter can be any one of these types. The most popular type of air filter intended for home use is the High Efficiency Particulate Air or HEPA filters. Other types include the UV air filter and the ionic air purifier. Below is a more in depth look at each type to help you decide which one you should consider purchasing for your home.

• HEPA or High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter. Basically, HEPA is the mechanism used in most home air purifiers available in the market. HEPA filters help reduce allergens, dust, and other microscopic substances in the air inside a house. Home air filtration systems that use the HEPA technology are known for its efficiency in eliminating airborne pollutants and allergens. A genuine and high-quality HEPA air filter is known to remove about 99.97% of airborne pollutants, germs, particles, and allergens.
• UV or Ultraviolet Air Filter. UV or ultraviolet light has been recognized for its potential as an efficient germicide. There are forms of UV light that can actually kill or sterilize various bacteria, germs, and other microorganisms. A lot of air purifiers in the market utilize UV light as the main purifying mechanism as it is known to help a lot in cleaning the air. UV purifiers are often attached to a heating and cooling system to purify an indoor space. A UV air filter is known to be efficient in reducing the adverse reactions and effects that allergens and pollutants bring. An air purifier that uses UV light destroys germs, viruses, and bacteria effectively. However, it must be noted that UV purifier does not remove the unwanted substances in the air. Instead, it kills it.
• Ionic Air Purifier. Basically, an ion is an electron or a particle of matter that can be negatively or positively charged. As you might have taken from your grade school science subjects, these electrons actually attract and get attracted to particles of the opposite charge, similar to how a magnet works. An ionic air filter makes use of negatively charged ions thus balancing the ionic charge of the purified air. The negatively charged ions leave the purifier and look for positively charged ions. Once the bond between the negative and positive ions occurs, the new particles become heavier, thus leaving the air and attaching to solid surfaces within the room.

Do Air Filters Really Work?

Indeed, an air filter may come with a price that could take away a large chunk from your bank account. This could be a reason why some people are apprehensive about getting one for their home. Another reason is that some are still unconvinced that it actually works. The good news is, it actually does. The sad part is that people do not notice the benefit of having an air filter. It is often neglected or taken for granted by most people. As a matter of fact, only a handful would attribute their freedom from allergies to the efficiency of their home air filter.

Air filters have notable long-term benefits. People in the city stay indoors to keep themselves away from outdoor pollution. What they don’t realize is that pollution can permeate indoors and worse, air pollution can also originate indoors! Here are the main benefits of air filters:

Cleaner air for respiratory system

This is the main benefit of air purifiers. Some people have been skeptical about the air purifier’s contribution in making the air cleaner but it really works. One shouldn’t expect immaculately clean air but it really reduces the pollution. Quality filters can take away more than 90% of pollutants from the air. They will remove bacteria, germs, molds, odors, and viruses. You can also trust them to remove chemical fumes that are very toxic to your respiratory system. They greatly reduce the chances of contracting respiratory diseases.

Reduced allergies

Air purifiers also have a welcome spot in a household with inhabitants that are sensitive to allergens. Most allergens are airborne and air filters do a great job in sucking in all the allergens to keep the air clean. It’s important to eliminate them because allergies can range from mild to severely life-threatening. Air filters clear the air and the humidity. Houses with pets can also use filters to eliminate pet dander, a leading cause of allergies.

Reduced Odor

There are some aromas that are unwanted indoors. It could just come from one source or sometimes, a combination of odors make one nasty odor that just has to be eliminated. Air purifiers also suck out unwanted odor from several gases, aside from solid particles. Kitchens can even make use air purifiers to eliminate unwanted smell from cooking and outdoor air that may contaminate food.

A Good Night’s Sleep

Bedroom conditions can also be improved with filters. Relaxation and sleep take place in the bedroom and its very hard to get some sleep when you’re breathing polluted air around you. It’s also dangerous to go to sleep with possible toxic gases circulating in the bedroom because it can kill you while you are asleep. Even if you have an air conditioner with a filter at home, it’s best to get a separate air filter to clean the air in your sanctuary.

Hopefully, the listed benefits would have already convinced you to install an air filter in your own home. When you’re choosing an air filter, you have to consider the space it’s going to be in. For instance, air purifiers in the kitchen can benefit from gas phase filters since odor from cooking ingredients is a big problem in the kitchen.  Mechanical filters are better at attracting larger particles than electronic filters. There are also filters that come with additional features. For example, a mechanical filter can come with an odor removing system. That way, you don’t have to get another air filter for odor removal.