whole house air cleaner is not a Single Sided Attack
October 11th, 2009 by Michael HansonThere are many products that claim to be a whole house air cleaner, but many of them are related to a HEPA furnace filter or additional HEPA purifier that works in conjunction with your home's heating and air conditioning systems. By installing HEPA filters in your furnace or using equipment that purifies air from your cold air return, you might get as much as 30% purification, but not enough to qualify as a whole house air cleaner.
The reason is that the returns are not meant to pull all the air from all of the rooms. Some rooms may not even have a return in them, so these rooms would receive little in the way of purification. Heating and air conditioning manufacturers are offering a "whole house air cleaner" for those that have allergies or those that are concerned with illnesses, but purifying the air in your house is not as simple as installing something to your air handling system, especially with limited air returns.
Adding these filters will help some, but there is not a single sided attack for purifying the air in your entire home. It is important to note that furnace and air conditioning systems are meant to filter dust and some allergens with a HEPA filter, but that does not mean that they are able to attack and kill viruses and other bacteria that are in the air. There are four steps that can act as a whole house air cleaner, which are part of a process, instead of a single product:
1. Your furnace and air conditioning system can help if you install a self-charging electrostatic air filter in the main system in your home. You can have the air ducts in your home cleaned by an air duct cleaning company, since this is where a lot of allergens and molds, bacteria and dust mites can lurk.
2. If you place a portable HEPA air cleaner or purifier in the most lived-in parts of your home, such as the living room and bedrooms, you can insure that the majority of the air you breathe will be cleaner.
3. Vacuum with a HEPA vacuum cleaner and vacuum often because carpet is where many molds, bacteria, dander, allergens and dead skin cells accumulate. If you are thinking of replacing old carpet, consider tile and hardwood floors instead, since new carpet emits gases for 2 to 3 years. It is much easier to keep a sanitary home with tile and hardwood floors than with carpet.
4. Keep you home clean. No matter whether you have a whole house air cleaner or not, a dirty home is where bacteria, molds and allergens tend to build up. With a clean home, you can help keep air cleaner and viruses in control. Wash bedding in very hot water at least once a week and feather pillows and comforters should be eliminated, if possible.
When it comes to a whole house air cleaner, there is not a single piece of equipment that fits the bill for every situation. Portable HEPA purifiers or ionizers can be used as a whole house air cleaner, if they are put in the rooms you live in and rotated throughout your home, in addition to these other steps.
Whole House Air Cleaner is not a Single Sided Attack
There are many products that claim to be a whole house air cleaner, but many of them are related to a HEPA furnace filter or additional HEPA purifier that works in conjunction with your home's heating and air conditioning systems. By installing HEPA filters in your furnace or using equipment that purifies air from your cold air return, you might get as much as 30% purification, but not enough to qualify as a whole house air cleaner.
The reason is that the returns are not meant to pull all the air from all of the rooms. Some rooms may not even have a return in them, so these rooms would receive little in the way of purification. Heating and air conditioning manufacturers are offering a "whole house air cleaner" for those that have allergies or those that are concerned with illnesses, but purifying the air in your house is not as simple as installing something to your air handling system, especially with limited air returns.
Adding these filters will help some, but there is not a single sided attack for purifying the air in your entire home. It is important to note that furnace and air conditioning systems are meant to filter dust and some allergens with a HEPA filter, but that does not mean that they are able to attack and kill viruses and other bacteria that are in the air. There are four steps that can act as a whole house air cleaner, which are part of a process, instead of a single product:
1. Your furnace and air conditioning system can help if you install a electrostatic air filter that is self charging in the main system in your home. You can have the air ducts in your home cleaned by a company that cleans air ducts, since this is where a lot of allergens and molds, bacteria and dust mites can lurk.
2. If you place a portable HEPA air cleaner or purifier in the most lived-in parts of your home, such as the living room and bedrooms, you can insure that the majority of the air you breathe will be cleaner.
3. Vacuum with a HEPA vacuum cleaner and vacuum often because carpet is where many molds, bacteria, dander, allergens and dead skin cells accumulate. If you are thinking of replacing old carpet, consider tile and hardwood floors instead, since new carpet emits gases for 2 to 3 years. It is much easier to keep a sanitary home with tile and hardwood floors than with carpet.
4. Keep you home clean. No matter whether you have a whole house air cleaner or not, a dirty home is where bacteria, molds and allergens tend to build up. With a clean home, you can help keep air cleaner and viruses in control. Wash bedding in very hot water at least once a week and feather pillows and comforters should be eliminated, if possible.
When it comes to a whole house air cleaner, there is not a single piece of equipment that fits the bill for every situation. Portable HEPA purifiers or ionizers can be used as a whole house air cleaner, if they are put in the rooms you live in and rotated throughout your home, in addition to these other steps.