Types Of Air Purifiers And The Best Seasons To Use Them

As modern homes become increasingly well insulated and airtight, one of the downsides is poor indoor air quality. In fact, according to the EPA, your indoor air can be 2-5 times dirtier than outdoor air!

Whether you have asthma or seasonal allergies, or you’re simply concerned about the air quality your household is breathing, installing an air purifier can make a drastic improvement.

To help explain what an air purifier does and how you could benefit from it, in this blog, we’ll review three common types of air purifiers, including:

We’ll also discuss the best seasons to use them. That way, you and your family can choose the best air purification system for your unique needs.

UV (ultraviolet) light is used to kill harmful airborne pathogens like viruses, bacteria, household cleaning chemicals, and secondhand tobacco smoke.

As an air purifier, it functions like a lamp that gets installed directly within your central air conditioning system. When air passes through, the UV light will sanitize 99% of germs that may be present.

UV lights are often referred to as “UV lamps” or “UV-C lights” (the “C” just refers to shortwave ultraviolet light, which is the technical terminology). They also come in various sizes that need to be fitted to your specific HVAC system. While you can easily find and purchase a UV light online, hiring a licensed technician who knows how to source and install it correctly is best.

Summer is the best season to use a UV light air purifier. With the increase in humidity, your home may be prone to mold growth. But with a UV light installed in your HVAC system, it will kill off mold spores before they have a chance to circulate.

HEPA air cleaners are commonly used in hospitals because they can stop everything from dust, hair, pollen, smoke, bacteria, and even viruses from circulating in the air.

Although referred to as “air cleaners,” they’re actually high-efficiency filters that trap and collect airborne particles. And while they are a bit more expensive to install, HEPA filters have a 99.7% effectiveness rate, making them a perfect fit for families with allergies, asthma, respiratory problems, and more. They also last up to two years of normal household use before needing to be replaced.

Homeowners can benefit from a HEPA filter year-round— both during fall and winter when the flu and cold season is upon us, and also during spring and summer when seasonal pollen can aggravate allergies.

Using a magnetic force that attracts particles to it, a polarized media filter can trap even the tiniest of particles such as gases, odors, germs, bacteria, and viruses from circulating.

A great addition to any standard carbon filter (that traps dust, hair, and dirt), polarized media filters are easily installed directly within your existing furnace. You simply change them out a few times per year, around the same time as your standard air filter.

They’re also less expensive than UV lights and HEPA cleaners, which makes them an affordable option for whole-home air purification.

Polarized media filters are also a very effective year-round solution, just like a HEPA system. The polarized media filter is at a lower price point and still captures a very high amount of particles at 97%.