While air purifiers may not directly or immediately improve a person's health, studies indicate that these devices can help reduce exposure to harmful pollutants, which may have long-term health benefits. If you're planning to buy an air purifier, you should know that it won't remove all of the harmful particles from your home. Many particles can remain on soft surfaces (furniture, carpets, bedding, etc.) However, when used in conjunction with a filter and regularly cleaned the house, an air purifier is a fantastic way to improve air quality and health. Household HVAC air filters are rated according to their MERV rating and most household filters are between 1 and 13 (more than 13 are for HEPA filters).
The disadvantage of these filters is that they require the HVAC system to work a little harder to pass air through the unit, which can cause the HVAC system to lose efficiency sooner than expected. A little over 10 years ago, manufacturers began to place more folds (or folds) in air filters and to increase their surface area. Filters will generally be 1 inch thick for common systems and 5 inches thick for larger HVAC systems. An alternative type of air purifier uses ionizers instead of filters to create a static charge around particles, effectively reducing the amount of particles that circulate in the air.
For an air purifier to qualify as “suitable for medical use”, it must be able to prevent the entry of smaller types of particles, such as viruses. When you use an air purifier in conjunction with a particulate filter, you can efficiently trap many of these allergens. Air purifiers promise to clean the air in your home by removing airborne contaminants, such as dust, pollen and smoke particles. Portable air purifiers are good for helping ventilate your home, reducing or increasing humidity, limiting access to air pollution, and generally keeping the air in your home clean.
The right HVAC filters can make the difference between congested air full of pollutants and clean, healthy, and easy-to-breathe air. These filters aren't known for improving air quality, as they can't push too hard and can only trap some of the dust and allergens. That's why it's important to only use air filters with the MERV rating recommended by the HVAC system manufacturer. But if this isn't possible in a home, a HEPA air filter can reduce smoke particles and be a better intervention than nothing.
Consider starting your search for an air purifier by clarifying what exactly you want it to do in your home.