Did you know the air inside your home could be up to five times more polluted than the air outdoors? If you’re concerned about your indoor air quality, you’ve probably wondered whether portable air purifiers or a whole-house air purification system can actually benefit you and your family. At Steve’s Plumbing & Heating, we specialize in air purification and are here to fill you in on what you need to know.
Read on to find out what an air purifier can do for your home and whether installing a whole-house system is in your best interest.
What Does an Air Purifier Actually Do?
Air purifiers pretty much do what their name indicates: they clean the air. They do not, however, completely purify the air by removing every last airborne particle that might be floating around inside your home.
Usually, these devices contain HEPA filters, which are designed to remove particles sized 0.3 microns or larger. For reference, the naked human eye can only detect particles as small as 10 microns, and the average human hair is about 75 microns in diameter. Bacteria can be as small as 0.3 microns, which means a HEPA air purifier can filter that out of the air, and some viruses may also be large enough to get trapped within such a filter system, too.
Who Can Benefit From an In-Home Air Purifier?
Honestly, who couldn’t benefit from breathing cleaner air? Given the fact that the air inside most buildings is highly polluted — and most people spend about 90% of their indoors — everyone can benefit from cleaning up their indoor air. However, certain individuals may derive more benefit from an air purification system than others. They include:
● People who suffer from seasonal allergies
● People who smoke indoors or who live with individuals who smoke in the home
● People who have compromised immune systems
● People who work from home and spend the majority of the day inside
● People who own pets
Is a Whole-House Air Purification System Necessary?
Whether or not you need a whole-house air purifier really depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you want to dramatically improve the indoor air quality throughout your entire house, then yes, you need a whole-house air purification system.
If, on the other hand, you’re just looking to test out air purifiers to see if they make any difference in the way you typically feel, you may want to try out a portable air purifier first. Whole-house systems are certainly an investment, so it’s always a good idea to weigh your options before investing in one. You can also help clean up your indoor air by placing a few air purifying plants around your house.
If you do end up deciding a whole-house system is for you, it must be integrated into your existing HVAC system, where it will filter all of the air that travels through the ducts. Unlike portable units that you can simply set where you want them, a whole-house system must be professionally installed by an indoor air quality or HVAC specialist (like our team at Steve’s!).
Considering an Air Purification System for Your Central Wisconsin Home?
If you’re ready to clean up your indoor air, get in touch with our team at Steve’s Plumbing & Heating to learn about your air purification options! We’ll help you determine the best system for your home and install it to the highest quality standard. To learn more or get started, feel free to give us a call today at 715-421-1800 or request a service estimate, and we’ll be in touch!