Spring is just around the corner. Birds are out and about, flowers are blooming, and warmer breezes are starting to blow. This time of the year also means the winds are spreading around lots of pollen from trees and flowers. Spring showers not only help in plant growth, but also bring forth mold. Unfortunately, these airborne organisms are making people sick with allergies.
If you or one of your family members is experiencing seasonal allergies, you know firsthand that they can impact your daily life. Symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes, scratchy throat, dry cough and sneezing can be downright debilitating. The good news is that mold, spores and other airborne contaminants can be eradicated using an air purifier. This device might be just what you need to also improve your home’s indoor air quality all year round.
Here are the reasons to invest in an air purifier, especially as we enter allergy season.
What You Need to Know About Air Purifiers
An air purifier does only one job: clean the air around you. It has a fan that collects air, which then passes through a specialized filtration system that catches microscopic particles before recirculating back indoors. The fewer of these bad airborne particles there are in the air, the lower the chances you’ll breathe them into your lungs. With an air purifier, the lungs won’t have to be the sole filter for particles that make people sick. A high-quality device can trap up to 99% of all air pollutants that would otherwise enter your respiratory tract.
Keep in mind that an air purifier is different from an air quality monitor. The former can actually get rid of the pollutants from the air while even the best indoor air quality monitor cannot. The latter, meanwhile, only detects the types of contaminants in the indoor air and reports the level of several substances. It is a great device to have for people who need to know exactly what types of pollutants are in the air for them to identify the source of the problem.
Also worth noting is the fact that air purifiers aren’t the cure-all for removing all contaminants from your indoor air. Heating and air condition service contractors, however, recommend pairing the device with a high-quality filter for your HVAC system to further decrease the concentration of indoor air pollution.
Why an Air Purifier Is Worth the Investment
Buying an air purifier for your home has its many benefits. Here are some of them:
- Alleviate Allergy Symptoms
An estimated 50 million people in the United States suffer from allergies, particularly those that affect the respiratory system. Airborne allergens, particularly mold and pollen during spring, can wreak havoc on the immune system and cause many unpleasant symptoms like the ones mentioned above. With an air purifier, you and your family can breathe easy knowing that it can help create an allergen-free home. - Reduce Asthma Triggers
For people with asthma, spring is the most dreaded time of the year due to heightened pollen that could find its way indoors. Breathing in the air full of pollen and other contaminants can trigger asthma attacks. The air purifier, however, can help clean the indoor air, benefiting asthma sufferers who want to experience fewer respiratory issues. - Get Rid of Dust
Cleaning your home and eliminating clutter regularly minimizes the buildup of dust indoors. Even so, these small particles continue to appear on surfaces every day. They also attract dust mites, which are tiny creatures that also cause allergic reactions. If you want to clean less often, you might find the air purifier a great addition to your home. - Eliminate Mold
Mold spores from the outside can find their way into your living space, exposing every occupant to these airborne contaminants. Having humidity issues doesn’t help either since damp and moist environments provide nourishment for mold and mildew. A specialized air purifier is available on the market to combat mold and bacteria, ensuring you and your family’s health while being indoors.
The Best Type of Air Purifier for the Allergy Season
There are different types of air purifiers available today, each utilizing certain types of air filtration technology. For a more allergen-free indoors to relax this spring, heating and air condition repair contractors recommend the True HEPA/UV-C air purifier. It usually comes at a hefty price, but it is worth the investment, especially for homeowners who live in high allergen areas or have been suffering from respiratory symptoms during allergy season.
This type of air purifier combines a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter with ultraviolet (UV) light, trapping not just allergens, but also germs and odor-causing bacteria. HEPA, which is the gold standard for air purification, is also used in some HVAC systems. Since it is a True HEPA filter, it is certified to remove 99.97% of all microscopic particles as small as 0.3 microns.
Air purifiers with only True HEPA filters work just as well. It is worth having in your household because it can provide a minimum level of protection for anyone with a bad allergy problem. The device can get rid of pollen, dust mites, mold spores and other particulates that cause seasonal allergies and help keep your home smelling fresh. Of course, you have to make sure that the air filters are replaced every three months.
Other Considerations for Choosing an Air Purifier
When buying an air purifier for your home, there are a lot of things you need to consider, including the following:
- Size – Your air purifier should be appropriately sized to the room you want to clean. Smaller units aren’t effective in large spaces while heavy-duty ones can be too much inside tiny rooms.
- CADR – The clean air delivery rate (CADR) is a metric indicating an air purifier’s effectiveness in filtering various particles within a specific room size.
- Noise levels – Many air purifiers come with specifications, including noise levels listed in decibels. Consider a quieter model if you intend to keep the device on overnight.
To help you make the right choice of air purifier, don’t hesitate to reach out to EZ Air Conditioning and Heating. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is always happy to answer your questions, provide information and set up convenient scheduling.
We are a Carrier® Factory Authorized Dealer, which means we offer a selection of industry-leading, whole-home air quality technology. Compatible with any HVAC system, our low-maintenance, quiet and proven solutions resolve even the toughest challenge that allergy season can bring. Learn more about our products by calling (210) 558-7883 or filling out our contact form.
