Whether you have allergies or simply prefer knowing that the air in your home is as clean as you can make it for better health, achieving and maintaining good air quality is an important issue. With all of the pollutants in the air today, as well as the many air-borne illnesses and allergens, keeping clean air is important for everyone.
Start With Your Heating System
If you have a forced air heat system, you need to look at your furnace and heating ducts to ensure that the air being blown into your home via the heat or the air conditioning is clean. First of all, be sure that you take good care of your furnace filter. If you use disposable filters, you should replace them regularly; look at the current filter for instructions on how often to change them. Depending on how often you use your heat, this should be every three to six months. A permanent filter should be cleaned on the same timeline.
You should also see about getting your heating vents and duct system cleaned every couple of years. If you have just purchased a new home and have no idea when it was last done, you should have a professional come in and clean the entire system before you move in.
Choosing An Air Purifier
There are two main categories of air purifiers on the market. The first category is the portable air purifier. These are designed to clean the air in a certain amount of square footage, from one room to an entire house. The second category is the built-in whole-home air purifier. This can be built right into your heating and cooling system to automatically clean the air in your house.
Air purifiers use one of two basic types of technology in order to clean the air of irritants, allergens, and germs. They either use filters, including HEPA filters, or ionic technology, which uses electromagnetic charges to clean the air. Some use a combination of both versions. Ionic air purifiers release ozone into the air, and should always be used according to the directions.
Keep your heating and cooling system clean and choose an air purifier that best fits your needs and budget. This combination of precautions will ensure that the air in your home is always clean and fit to breathe.