AIR PURIFIERS & CLEANERS

While ordinary paper filters contained in many HVAC systems help remove dust from the air, these basic filters do not remove minuscule particles that can be harmful to your health. Central air purification systems, which are installed in the ductwork of your HVAC system, remove dust, mold, bacteria, and viruses from the air circulated throughout your HVAC system and home.

If you have done your best to maintain a dust-free, clean environment but still suffer from allergies and other respiratory ailments, you should definitely consider installing an HVAC air purifier.

Businesses, where volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are part of the trade (such as salons, furniture refinishing businesses, print shops, dry cleaners, and auto body repair shops), are also prime candidates for an HVAC air purifier.

It's not only the obvious places that benefit from these systems. VOCs are present at any business where cleaning chemicals are used or printers are part of the office equipment. Even the very place you go to promote good health-your fitness center-will likely have some level of VOCs circulating.

In 1903, Niels Finsen won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his use of ultraviolet light in the treatment of tuberculosis. Since then, it has been adapted for many sterilization and disinfecting purposes. Now, ultraviolet light can be installed in your HVAC system to help kill mold and bacteria.

There are two types of UV lights available for HVAC systems which are:

• Coil sterilization: A "stick type" light installed inside the return air duct near that sterilizes the air handler coil. A coil sterilization UV light runs 24 hours a day and is the most common type.
• Air sterilization: A complete UV light unit that sterilizes all moving air. The unit is installed in the return air duct and cycles on with the blower.

Most would agree that breathing in the cleanest air possible is a benefit to all those who inhale. The simple answer to the question, "Is an installation of an HVAC air purifier worth it?" is absolutely. For allergy and asthma sufferers and those with chronic respiratory problems, the installation of an HVAC air purifier should be an even stronger consideration.

Some of the things an HVAC air purifier can do for your home or business include:

Trap pet dander and other allergens

Block dust mites/dust

Trap bacteria and viruses to prevent the spread of germs and illnesses

Remove dangerous volatile organic compounds

Neutralize smoke from your fireplace or smoked tobacco products

Remove unpleasant odors emanating from places like stoves, ovens, and trash cans

Not all air purifiers do the same thing.

Here are the available types:

• HEPA: One of the most common types of an HVAC air purifier system utilizes a heavy-duty HEPA (High Energy Particulate Air Filters) filter to trap the largest particles like dust. HEPA filters can trap more than 99% of airborne particles .3 microns and larger from entering your breathing space.
• Carbon activated filters: A carbon activated filter is a good choice for VOC removal and smoke and odor eradication. These filters contain tiny absorbent pores to trap contaminants as they pass through the filter.
• HVAC ultraviolet light air purifier: Ultraviolet technology is often used in conjunction with HEPA air purifiers. While the HEPA filter will capture larger particles, an HVAC ultraviolet air purifier can kill microorganisms such as bacteria without any actual filtration. Instead, it uses rays of ultraviolet light to incinerate microorganisms as they pass through it.
• Electrostatic air purifiers: Many HVAC air purifiers also contain electrostatic fields to capture microscopic particles as small as .1 micron in size, including viruses. Electrostatic air purifiers clean the air by using static electricity. An electrostatic charge is generated by flowing through a network of static-prone filters. Airborne particles are grasped by the static charge and trapped until the filter is washed.
• Ionizing air purifiers: An ionizing air purifier uses a negative ion generator, which introduces negatively charged particles that attract positively charged air pollutants. As the particles group together, they become too heavy, fall from the air, and attach to surfaces.