The air filter in your air conditioner does an important job: it helps keep dust and dirt from accumulating in your system. This can improve the air quality in your home, but that is a secondary feature of the built-in air filter. If you need to improve your indoor air quality, the best place to start is with a whole-home air purifier from Climate Masters – your St. Augustine air cleaners.
What Does an Air Purifier Do?
An air purifier takes your indoor air and passes it through stringent filters that capture different types of particles existing in your indoor air. Air purifiers purify the air with this process, filtering the air in your home so that it becomes cleaner.
What Types of Particles Are Captured?
Air purifiers are designed to capture:
- Dirt
- Dust
- Allergens (pollen, pet dander)
- Smoke
- Mold spores
- Bacteria
- Viruses
Understanding MERV Numbers
Just as an air conditioning system comes with a SEER number, a whole-home air purifier comes with its own number, too, called a MERV number. MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value, and it measures the level of efficiency at which an air filter functions. The MERV scale starts at 1 and ends at 16, with 16 being the most efficient. Our minimal MERV recommendation when choosing an air purifier is 8.
Why Install an Air Purifier?
There are several reasons our customers install whole-home air purifiers:
- Helps relieve allergy symptoms
- Helps relieve asthma symptoms
- Increases overall indoor air quality
- Further reduces the presence of dust and dirt
What Types of Air Purifiers Are Available?
There are several types of whole-home air purifiers from which to choose:
- High Efficiency Filters –high efficiency filters are great at removing pollutants from the air, such as allergens, smoke and pet dander. However, it is important to have a professional install a high efficiency filter as some may constrict air flow in your system.
- Electronic – using an electrostatic field, an electronic filter pushes particles into a confined space with a fan, electronically charges them, then attracts the particles using an opposite electrical charge. These filters are highly efficient and require fairly minimal maintenance.
- UV Germicidal Lights – UV germicidal lights use a safe amount of ultraviolet radiation to destroy biological pollutants in your air conditioning system. UV germicidal lights are excellent for destroying microbes, mold and mildew spores, and harmful bacteria and viruses. However, UV lights do not have a filter, so they do not help eradicate dirt and dust
Looking to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality? Call an Expert
For over 25 years, customers have turned to Climate Masters to be their St. Augustine air cleaners. If you are looking to improve your air quality with a whole-home air purifier, call Climate Masters today!
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Tags: Air Cleaners, St. Augustine
Posted in Air Conditioning | Comments Off on Air Purifier: When an Air Filter Is Not Enough
