Air quality is an easily overlooked factor in home comfort, but it can play a big role in how your home functions and feels. Studies repeatedly show that air inside your home can be more polluted than air outside, especially in newer homes. A whole home purification system is the best option for tackling pollution and improving indoor air quality. Today, we discuss everything you need to know about air purification, including how it works and the most effective types of whole-home air purifiers.
How Air Purification Differs From Air Filtration
Although you’ll commonly hear people use the terms air purification and air filtration interchangeably, they refer to slightly different processes. Air filtration means using a physical filter that acts as a barrier to trap airborne particles like dust, pet dander, pollen, mold spores, and other debris.
Air purification also typically involves using a filter to clean the air and eliminate most particulate matter. However, purification takes things one step further by tackling other sources of poor air quality in Baltimore. That means it not only removes dust and other particulate matter but also organic microorganisms, chemical pollutants, and odor-causing agents, which would typically flow through an air filter. An air purifier will generally lead to a bigger improvement in indoor air quality than a whole-home air filtration system would.
How a Whole-Home Air Purifier Works With an HVAC System
The reason whole-home air purification systems are so effective is that they work alongside the building’s HVAC system. That means the system actively cleans and purifies the air circulating throughout the house whenever the heating or air conditioning is running. This is also the system to purify the air throughout your entire house so that everyone can breathe more easily.
You can also use the air purifier during the times when you don’t need your heating or AC on. All you need to do is turn the HVAC fan on so that it runs independently of the heating/AC and starts pulling air into the return ductwork. The air then gets filtered and purified before finally being pumped back out into each room. Depending on the size of your house, it will typically take just 30 to 60 minutes to circulate all the air in the home and pass it through the purification system. You should see a fairly noticeable improvement in air quality quite quickly.
Types of Whole-Home Air Purifiers
You have a few different options for whole-home air purification. Most systems have multiple stages designed to tackle certain air quality issues. The first stage is usually a highly efficient media filter that traps all but the smallest airborne particles. Many systems contain a special UV-C light. As air passes through this light, the UV rays alter the DNA of organic molecules like bacteria, mold spores, and viruses so that they become harmless and can’t cause infections or reproduce.
Some systems also use an electrostatic filter to purify the air. This type of filter sends out charged ions that attract and get stuck to chemicals and all of the other impurities, causing them to receive either a positive or negative charge. An oppositely charged plate within the filter then attracts the charged molecules and prevents them from recirculating.
Some of the best air purification systems combine an efficient media filter and UV lights with an additional process known as photocatalytic oxidation. This process involves shining a UV light onto a special titanium dioxide catalyst to produce powerful oxidizing ions. These ions also attract and stick to gaseous chemicals like VOCs (volatile organic compounds). When they come into contact with these chemicals, a chemical transformation occurs that changes the chemicals into harmless products like water vapor and carbon dioxide.
The only concern with some electrostatic filters and photocatalytic oxidizers is that they can release ozone, which is a known respiratory irritant that can cause issues for people with asthma and other breathing issues. Luckily, there are systems available that have been independently tested and proven to not produce ozone and instead actively remove ozone from the building.
Since 2013, At Your Service Heating & Cooling LLC has been one of the top choices for heating services along with cooling and indoor air quality solutions in the Baltimore area. We service residential and commercial customers and offer a range of solutions that can help you tackle whatever air quality issues your building has. For more information on our indoor air quality services, contact us today.
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