Do you want to improve the air quality in your household? Adding an air cleaner is an effective way to reduce the dust, allergens and asthmatic triggers within your home. Reducing these triggers can help you breathe easier and contribute to a healthier home all year long.
Not all air cleaners are created equal, however. Products that market themselves as both air purifiers and air fresheners often produce ozone as they “clean” the air. Ozone is a common lung irritant capable of triggering or exacerbating asthma and allergy symptoms. To create a better indoor air environment, you want an air cleaner that eliminates triggers, not creates them. Compare air-cleaning products with the following factors when shopping:
- Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). CADR measures an air cleaner's effectiveness by the percentage of particles extracted from a given area multiplied by the cubic feet per minute (CFM) flow of air through the model's filter. CADR measures the removal of smoke (with a rating between 10 to 450), dust (10 to 400), and pollen (25 to 450) to give the consumer a general idea of how well a filter can remove said particles while maintaining good airflow.
- HEPA. Often associated with vacuum cleaner filters, HEPA filters can be installed inside some central air systems, though usually with modifications to the equipment, or come standard in stand-alone air cleaners. They are effective at trapping the great majority of airborne particulates in your home's air, including dust, dander, and pollen. On the MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) scale, HEPA filters occupy the high end of efficiency, MERV 17-20.
- “Asthma and Allergy Friendly." This new certification label was created by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation in order to distinguish air cleaners that significantly reduce allergens, instead of redistributing them. Products with this label have been evaluated for the air cleaner's capacity per defined space, the cleaner's fiber shedding potential, and the effectiveness of the product's seals.
To learn more about air cleaners and other products that will improve the air quality of your Fort Wayne area home, please contact us at Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air cleaners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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