Do whole-home air purifiers help you sleep?

Removing air contaminants (allergens, dust, pet dander) that cause congestion promotes a night of better sleep. Still, there is little medical evidence to show a correlation between air purifiers and improved health.

What size home can a whole-home air purifier clean?

The success of your whole home air purifier at cleaning the air from a room will depend on if the system can handle the home's size. There are various air purifiers on the market. Still, they are only effective when paired with an appropriately sized home. Most whole-home air purifiers are built into the already running HVAC systems and have the power to move the air through the house. Double-check with your air purifiers Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR), the square footage of the room divided by 1.55, and make sure it fits with your home’s needs.

How do whole-home air purifiers work?

A whole-home air purifier works by collecting air from the house and running it through a filtration system. This process is either done before or after the air has been run through the home's HVAC. Air purification systems work using a variety of methods. HEPA filtration purifiers trap airborne contaminants to a specialized screen, removing as much as 99.97% of particles larger than 0.3 microns. Carbon filtration uses activated carbon as its filter. It is one of the few filtrations used to trap VOCs, gases, and chemicals. Negative ionization charges the air within the system, weighing down contaminants and making them easier to be trapped by the system's filter. And Ultraviolet light is used to kill airborne bacteria and viruses before circulating the air.

What are whole-home air purifiers used for?

Whole-home air purifiers have many uses depending on what product you have selected. Whether it be bacteria, dust, mold, pollen, or smell, the right air purifier can help your household. If you are looking to remove finer particles rated larger than 0.3 microns, consider an air purifier with a HEPA filter.

How do I know if I need a whole-home air purifier?

There are many different air purification systems on the market today that have strengths and weaknesses. Whole-home air purifiers are an excellent option for households that suffer from allergies and asthma. An air purification system does more for the home by dealing with bacteria, dust, mold, pollen, or smells (including smoke).

Can whole-home air purifiers make you sick?

Some air purification methods utilize ozone to remove mildew, mold, odor, and smoke. While ozone is helpful for this form of cleaning, it can be incredibly harmful if inhaled by humans, potentially resulting in lasting lung damage. Other products that use ozone, or could emit ozone as a byproduct, should be avoided.

Do whole-home air purifiers work all the time?

Most whole-home air purifiers connect to the home's HVAC duct system, are often plugged into an outlet, and are left running all the time. Luckily, more modern air purifiers have become energy efficient in comparison to standard household appliances. Some air purifiers run with low electricity, costing less than $100 a year when running 24 hours a day.

Can you have a humidifier connected to a whole home air purifier?

There are some portable systems with humidifier and purifier combos, but I didn't find any on Whole-Home systems. I discovered that you could place portable humidifiers and air purifiers in the same room but not close to each other or run the risk of saturating the purification filter.

Do whole-home air purifiers really work?

With plenty of air purifiers on the market, there are lots of options. All of these air purifiers work, but each works differently under different conditions. When considering purchasing a whole-home air purifier, it is best to match the product to your home’s unique needs. The effectiveness of an air purifier always comes down to the quality of the product purchased paired with the quality of installation, airflow rate, and other situational variables that each home brings. Whole-home air purifiers run along with the already present HVAC system, only limited by the capacity of that system.

How to maintain a whole-home air purifier?

Whole-home air purifiers will require a set amount of maintenance depending on which product you selected. This maintenance comes from changing out filters or cleaning the system when a media filter is dirty. Some air purification systems with UV lightbulbs will require bulb changes. These changes are often needed twice a year.

Learn about Whole Home Air Purifier

A whole-home air purifier works with your home's HVAC system to purify the air of bacteria, dust, mold, pollen, smoke, and odors either before it goes through the HVAC or after. A standard air purifier does not catch Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) or gasses. Some air purifiers on the market include carbon filtration, HEPA filtration, negative ionization, and ultraviolet (UV) light.

When shopping for whole-home air purifiers, be sure to look for one with a decent Clean-Air Delivery Rate (CADR). The CADR calculates the product's speed at cleaning the air of dust, pollen, smoke, and other contaminants. Also, look for a verified mark from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), which ensures a comparable standard of quality in-home care appliances. AHAM often takes into account an air purifier's CADR and room size guidelines. Finally, the only way to properly remove fine-particulate matter is to invest in an air purifier backed with HEPA filters. Consider also making sure that your air purifier's filter comes with a high MERV rating and allows adequate airflow to your HVAC system.

Some whole-home air purifiers can be considered more sustainable than other brands depending on energy usage and filter replacements. The primary purpose of a whole-home air purifier is to reduce the number of indoor contaminants is present in the air. This product itself does not improve sustainability.

The original HEPA filter was first used for the Manhattan Project in 1940 to prevent the spread of radioactive contaminants in the air. HEPA filters are still used in the nuclear industry today in combination with activated carbon filters.