Cold weather is setting in, which means for the next few months, your house will be shut up tightly against the Ohio winter. This is fine for keeping out the elements, but what you may not know is that keeping your home shut prevents fresh air from getting in. Thus the same air gets circulated through your HVAC system again and again all season. Over time it grows stale, accumulating mold spores, bacteria and other contaminants. In order to improve your indoor air quality and reduce the risk of disease, consider getting an air purifier.
There are a number of different types of air purifiers and cleaners, but the two most common are mechanical and ionizing. Mechanical air purifiers use filters to trap and eliminate contaminants. An efficient air filter can remove up to 90 percent of particles from the air, from larger ones like dust and pollen to smaller, more harmful contaminants such as mold spores and auto emission particles. An air filter with a MERV rating of 8 to 12 is the most efficient for residential purposes, balancing good air quality with proper airflow.
Ionizing air purifiers give air molecules an electric charge as they circulate through the unit. Contaminants are then attracted to an oppositely charged section called a collector, and trapped. An alternate type of air ionizer disperses ionically charged particles through the room, where they attach themselves to dust and contaminants, attracting them to the walls and other surfaces, or to each other, to help them settle more quickly.
Whatever type of air purifier you get, it’s important to get one that serves your whole house. Whole-house air purifiers are integrated into your existing HVAC system, so that as the air is being warmed or cooled and circulated, it’s also being purified. As long as your HVAC system is on, air will cycle through your home throughout the day, ensuring a constant supply of clean air all winter long.
For more tips on improving indoor air quality and preparing for winter, contact our experts at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We have 33 years of experience serving the HVAC needs of Lorain and the surrounding area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air purifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area