Did you know that without the right indoor air quality products and services in place, the quality of your indoor air can be worse than that of outdoors? This is especially true if you have a home that was built in the last few decades. Homes today are built very “tightly,” allowing for no conditioned air to escape out.
This is great news for your HVAC use, as it helps your air conditioner and heater work more efficiently. But it’s lousy news if you’re an allergy sufferer—with no air escaping it means that contaminants such as dust, dirt, pollen, and pet dander get trapped inside with you. Even the healthiest person can feel ill due to poor indoor air quality!
“Doesn’t My HVAC Air Filter Fend Off Allergens?”
Well, no. The purpose of the air filter within your HVAC system is to protect the system itself from that dirt, dust, and debris. The filter exists at the intake, meaning that any contaminants that are already in your home are sucked toward the air conditioner, stopping them from going any further. This certainly helps improve your air quality, so long as you are changing out that air filter every 1-3 months. But this isn’t the purpose of that air filter.
What You Need Is a Whole-House Air Purifier
When you think of an air purifier, you might envision those smaller, room units you can purchase from a hardware store. These aren’t a “bad” idea, for a single room, but they’re not going to give you significant results. Instead, you should have a whole-house air purifier installed, whether it’s an electronic air cleaner, UV air purifier, or both.
Why is this so beneficial?
It’s cost-efficient. Small, portable air purifiers can only handle a room or two at a time. Rather than purchasing multiple units to place around your home, a whole-house system can be must more cost-efficient.
In addition, you won’t have to worry about replacing the filters in and maintaining several portable units. Instead, there’s only one system that is integrated directly into your HVAC system, and it can be accessed and maintained by your trusted HVAC professional.
It’s convenient. A whole-house air purifier usually can be integrated right into your HVAC system or its ducts, as we alluded to above. This means you won’t need to worry about any space being taken up by portable units, nor do you have to worry about the noise associated with portable systems.
In addition, you’ll have uniform air quality throughout your home, 24/7. While an air purifier won’t be able to mitigate serious problems, such as a major mold infestation, an installation of a UV air purifier can destroy the cells that lead to mold development.
Consider Drafty Doors and Windows
We talked above about how our tightly constructed homes won’t allow contaminants out. Well, if you have doors and windows that aren’t sealing up as tightly as they used to, then you need to think about whether they’re letting contaminants in.
One of our specialties is window and door installations. Not only can new windows and doors help your indoor air quality, but they have a number of other benefits, as well. Contact us to learn more!
When you need a trustworthy Tacoma, WA HVAC company for your indoor air quality needs, look no further than Sunset Air.
