Benefits and Types of Air Cleaners for Your Home

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) is a major problem for many households. During the heating months, homes in our region are sealed up tight to keep in heat. During the cooling months, high humidity levels exacerbate many air quality issues. A proactive IAQ strategy is necessary in many instances to remove indoor contaminants and promote a more healthful home. Read on to see if a whole-home air cleaner would benefit you.

Air Cleaners Benefits and Types

Whole-home air cleaners work in conjunction with the forced-air HVAC system to remove or destroy airborne contaminants as they pass through the ducts. Whole-home air cleaners are typically installed in the return-side ducts near the furnace. Some air cleaners, such as UV light systems, may be installed at the evaporator coil.

The following are popular types of whole-home air cleaners and the contaminants they capture or destroy.

• UV (ultraviolet) light systems destroy or deactivate mold and other micro-organisms using short-wavelength radiation. UV lights don’t capture particles, so you still need a media filter.
• High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are the best for residential air filters. HEPA filters capture up to 99.97 percent of particles to 0.3 microns in size.
• Electrostatic air cleaners use attraction to capture charged particles and micro-organisms. Electrostatic air cleaners are washable and reusable.
• Ionizers disperse charged ions into airflow. They’re similar to electrostatic air cleaners, but they don’t use collector plates. The ions attach to airborne particles, which makes the particles settle faster. Then, you simply wipe away the dust.
• Carbon activated filters remove odors from household air. Carbon filters are generally paired with other air cleaners, such as an electrostatic air cleaner.
• Air purification systems combine two or more of the preceding air cleaners to capture, destroy or deactivate multiple contaminant types.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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