How Air Purification Works To Improve Indoor Air Quality

In nearly every home there are airborne contaminants from sources such as pet dander, pollen, mold spores, dust mites and bacteria. There are even gaseous pollutants emanating from paints, gas appliances, pesticides and any number of cleaning products.

Air purifiers are designed to eliminate these pollutants from your home’s air. There are several types, but most systems address one specific class of indoor contaminants. For example, mechanical air filters and electronic air cleaners address airborne particulates.

Mechanical filters work by employing fine sieves that remove particulate matter from the air. The finer the sieve, the more particles it can trap and the greater the air purification. Electronic air cleaners utilize the process of electrostatic attraction. Essentially, as particles are drawn through the cleaner, they gain an electric charge; they are then removed from the air by special collectors that carry an opposite charge.

The popular portable air purification systems generally make use of fans to circulate air over High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filters, which are guaranteed to remove 99.97 of all particles larger than 0.3 microns from the air. While all air purifiers using HEPA filters are good, there are ways to evaluate the efficiency of one against another.

The Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is a means of measuring the total volume of air that a particular air purifier can cleanse of a specific pollutant in a minute. This system enables consumers to evaluate one machine against another and determine exactly which pollutants are being trapped by a particular device. CADR testing is independently performed to ensure accuracy.

When selecting an air purification system, it’s important to consider your specific needs. You can also opt for an all-in-one system such as the Lennox PureAir, which uses a combination of mechanical filtration, UV lights and a UV-activated catalyst to address all three classes of indoor contaminants: particulates, microorganisms and chemical vapors/odors.

For more information on various air purification products, or if you just need expert advice, please contact us at Blanton’s Heating & A/C. As part of the Fayetteville community for over a generation, we have a solid track record of professionalism and quality service for residential HVAC needs.